David Lee "Dave" Nemetz

David Lee Nemetz (Dave), age 85, of Raleigh, slipped the surly bonds of earth on April 3, 2025, after a full and storied life. He was the most amazing Daddy to his six children Natalie (Todd) Mastro, Leslie (Jonathan) Reed, Eric (Rebecca) Nemetz, Miriam (Joseph) Waters, David (Jamie) Nemetz, and Heather (Tate) Edwards. He is also survived by his twelve grandchildren, Gabriele (Sean) Dailey, Luke (Bryanna) Mastro, Trevor Mastro; Adam, Daniel, Zachary, and William Reed; Ian Waters; Audralyn and Isaac Nemetz; and Luella and Arlen Edwards, as well as his three great-grandchildren Simon Dailey, his baby sibling on the way, and Mila Mastro; and his sister Valerie Johnson. He is preceded in death by his lifelong love and wife of 55 years, Susan (Sue), his oldest daughter Loretta, and his parents, Leo and Agnes Nemetz and Anna Marie Janssens.
Dave was born on Coronado Island in San Diego. As an infant, he sailed through the Panama Canal to make his way to his childhood home in Newport, Rhode Island. Dave's life in Newport was full of adventures: catching lobster in the Narragansett Bay for dinner; diving wrecks to find ordinances from WWII ships; and occasional mischief like using said ordinances to build and detonate pipe bombs for fun (no one was harmed). Growing up on Narragansett Bay, Dave naturally became an avid sailor, earning nicknames like "Sailor Dave" and "Admiral". Dave spent summers working at the Newport Country Club as a golf caddy to pay his tuition at De La Salle High School in Newport before moving to Sarasota, FL where he graduated.
After high school, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Following electronics training in Memphis, Dave was stationed on the U.S.S. Intrepid Aircraft Carrier. He was a red shirt, loading and arming missiles onto the fighter aircraft. After traveling the world with the Navy, Dave enrolled at the University of Florida to study engineering. It was there that he met his bride, Sue Kestly, at the Catholic Student Center. They married and moved to Huntsville, Alabama where Dave began his career with IBM. For 20 years he worked on the space program with NASA. Due to his Navy experience working on guided missiles, Dave was assigned to program the navigation system on the Saturn V. He worked on the space shuttles and programmed Skylab and Spacelab. In 1985, he relocated with IBM to Raleigh, NC, where he found the best neighborhood in town as the new family home. The Lake Park community welcomed the Nemetz family with open arms, and quickly became extended family. Forty years later, the Lake Park roots run deep. We are forever grateful for the friendship, love and support from our wonderful Lake Park family.
Dave's love for sailing led him to crew boat deliveries and pleasure cruises across the Atlantic Ocean and along the eastern seaboard of the United States. In 2002, he crossed from the Chesapeake Bay to Portugal. A few years later, he sailed from the Caribbean to Greece, among several other memorable voyages.
Dave was a musical genius. He started playing the piano by ear at age seven, which quickly prompted the purchase of a Wurlitzer piano and official lessons. He later taught himself to play guitar. Dave always filled his house with music, whether it was jam sessions with his buddies, playing piano on weekend mornings, playing in the church folk choir, or providing piano and guitar lessons to others.
Growing up with Daddy was always an adventure, and never boring. We always had long, seemingly open-ended vacations filled with multiple unplanned side trips. It was not uncommon for him to randomly take one or two kids on an impromptu beach or ski trip. He fostered a love of outdoors in all of his kids. He was an outstanding father, putting all six kids through college and coaching their youth sports teams. If sports conflicted with his work schedule, he would leave work to attend and go back to finish up that night. He always made time for family, no matter what. He frequently went out of his way to help others, and truly led by example in all things.
A graveside funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at Manteo Cemetery. The family will receive friends and relatives for a visitation at Twiford Outer Banks Chapel before the graveside service beginning at 1:00 pm.
Fair winds and following seas, Bon Voyage, until we meet again.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.