David Chester Stanaway

The world has lost another talented musician, singer, song writer and teacher. David Chester Stanaway, age 80, died peacefully at the Ball Hospice House on August 23, 2024, after a six-year battle with Parkinson's Disease. Dave was the oldest of five, born on December 16, 1943, in Sault Saint Marie, Michigan, to Chester and Louetta (Gabriel) Stanaway.
The two main things Dave did for both love and money were music and teaching. He was a self-taught musician whose love of music, talent and his singing ability were inherited from his mother. Dave played professionally for the enjoyment of others, with guitar being his favorite instrument. He was also proficient on keyboards, bass guitar and harmonica. Though quiet by nature, Dave loved to sing and play for an audience. Even when he held a full-time day job, for many years he performed at local venues on weekends and sang at weddings. With his son, Jeffrey, and siblings who also inherited this talent, he enjoyed performing or just jamming with local musicians.
The Stingrays was his first band during college. Later, he traveled with a road band, Larry Slatter and the Executives, until he returned to college to complete a degree. Dave graduated from Sault Area High School in 1962. He graduated from Lake Superior State University and later attended Central Michigan University to obtain additional teaching credentials.
The bands gradually downsized. While he was in college or employed full-time, Dave had several versions of a duo, "Dave and " that included bass players who could also harmonize, Dave Walters, Rob Benjamin and Tom Savoie, plus an electric drummer. Finally, he performed locally as a single after adding electronic bass pedals to his inventory of instruments. This allowed him to play the guitar while singing or playing the harmonica with the electronics doing the rest.
His teaching positions included the Alternative High School and Sault Junior High teaching history, social studies and geography. The Alternative graduates selected Dave to be their commencement speaker. His address was delivered in the form of a song he wrote for the occasion entitled "Tenacity". The lyrics applauded the students' ability to stick to a goal and recognized the unique qualities of each of the graduates by name. Between his two teaching positions, he served as a youth employment counselor with the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA).
Dave retired from Sault Area Schools in 1999. In retirement, he continued to perform and got a unique opportunity that led to a (largely unpaid) career in songwriting. Dave was a member of the Chippewa County Historical Society and was approached by fellow musician, Susan Askwith, to be part of a grant that emphasized writing original songs about the history of the Sault and performing them at area schools. The grant also provided funds to record a CD of 10 songs. The result of this endeavor was a CD, John Johnston, His Life and Times in the Fur Trade Era, which can be found on YouTube. Thereafter for 11 years, Dave and Susan performed each summer at the Johnston Historic Home on Water Street.
They continued to write songs, expanding the area of interest to include shipwrecks and other historic events, such as the building of the Mackinac Bridge. Dave and Susan were invited to perform at the Michigan History Conference, the Ann Arbor Book Fair, Crossroads Village Festival, and performed their song, The Cypress, at a meeting of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society which honored relatives of the 22 sailors who were lost in the sinking of that ship in 1907.
In retirement, Dave also continued to share his love of music by teaching guitar to young (and not-so-young) students. He and his wife, Jessica, were active with the Best of Friends Humane Society and provided foster care for many dogs, puppies, cats and kittens until they could be adopted.
Dave is survived by his wife, Jessica (Benjamin), and they would have celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary in September. He is also survived by son, Jeffrey (Diana) Stanaway of Hendersonville, Tennessee; stepson Lindsey Lambert; siblings Brian (Mary), Dianne (Stan) Sipniewski, Bill (Chrissie) and Pamela (Bob Zajkowski); several nieces and nephews and second generations of them.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, Edmund and Nadiema (Vigeant) Benjamin; brother-in-law, Robert Benjamin; and several aunts, uncles and cousins of both the Stanaway and Gabriel branches of the family.
Per Dave's request, there are no services planned. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Instead, please remember Dave with these lyrics to the song "Lullaby" from the John Johnston CD.
"Breathe deep, and let go now, your busy day is done; the air's been so clear in the bright autumn sun;
But here in the night, so cool and so deep, wrapped round in our caring, surrender to sleep.
Breathe deep and let go now, and bid not farewell; as you answer the call of life's passing bell,
Like the sands of an hour-glass, we pass in our time, gone but for the memories of music and rhyme.
You've done what you could, leave the rest in God's hand,
You can trust in the water, believe in the land.
Seasons have turned, friends we have known,
So breathe deep your blessings and let the world go."
Memorials may be directed to Best of Friends Humane Society, 149 E. 7 Mile Road, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783.
Family Life Funeral Homes assisted the family with arrangements. Condolences may be left to the family at www.familylifefh.com.
Obituary as submitted by family.