David William Hulvey

Dave Hulvey, an unapologetic intellectual, died on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at the age of 71. He loved books, chess, and cats. He was a voracious reader with eclectic tastes but special interests in history, focusing on World War II, the Old West, and Ancient Rome. He also loved reading the Bible and committed many Scriptures to memory, being able to recall appropriate verses to comfort and strengthen both himself and others. Fittingly, Dave was a professional Librarian during his working years and filled the roles of Library Director and Reference Librarian in several states from coast to coast.
He began playing chess as a youngster after his dad introduced him to the game, and went on to play thousands of rated games in hundreds of tournaments across the country. Dave was a very strong chess player and scored wins over Grandmasters and International Masters. Although Dave was deadly serious when playing in tournaments, asking for and giving no quarter, he also enjoyed friendly games with less experienced players, allowing his opponents to bend the rules in their favor. (Dave would still usually win, however.)
Dave was an animal lover with a special fondness for cats, probably inherited from his mom, whose home and yard always housed several cats. Cats themselves sensed they would receive preferential treatment from Dave, and homeless cats and kittens were never turned away.
Dave was a Harrisonburg native and was the son of Marvin and June Hulvey. He and his wife, Sonja, were married for 43 years. He also leaves behind his brother, Howard, and his cousins, Mike, Sharon and MaryJo. Although Dave enjoyed exploring new places, his heart remained here in the Shenandoah Valley, and after many years away, he was happy to return home.
Those of us who loved Dave could go on talking about him at length--his encyclopedic knowledge of sports and music, for example--but we will pause here and say, Farewell, Dave, until we meet again in the resurrection (Revelation 21:1-5).
Memorial services will be private.