David H. Tucker

David H. Tucker E. MONTPELIER – David H. Tucker, 71, a longtime resident of Central Vermont, passed away at home on Thursday, March 13, 2025, following a brief battle with cancer, with his wife and brother and close friends at his side.
David was born on January 14, 1954, in Barre, the son of Everett D. and Frances M. Tucker. David arrived that day along with his identical twin brother, Mark. David, Mark, and their sister Kay grew up on Velie Avenue in Barre Town. He attended Barre Town schools and Spaulding High School and graduated from U-32 High School in 1972.
The two most important things in David's life were his love for his family and his work in public service. He met his wife Julie Lambert in 1995 and they married in 1999. Julie was the light in David's eyes. She brought her family to the relationship – two sons, John Lambert and his wife Katina in Northfield and their children Andrew and Baylee; and Adam Lambert in Berlin as well as Michelle Savary, Adam's former wife, of Berlin. Andrew lives in Williamstown with his partner Chelsea and their two children, Mika and Aria. Baylee lives in White Bluff, Tennessee with her husband Tyler Jordan. They are expecting their first child, Wyatt Andrew, in June. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Holly Gathright, and her husband Jim Brown, of Burlington, and his brother-in-law, Buck Gathright, of California. David always loved Julie's family as his own.
David was a consummate professional in his work life. After high school, he attended Johnson State College for two years, then spent a year at Weber College in Florida before moving to Salisbury, Maryland, where he continued his studies at Eastern Maryland University. He worked in a number of restaurants, eventually advancing to kitchen manager at a 350-seat restaurant in Ocean City, Maryland. In 1990 he moved back to Barre and took a job at the Vermont Department of Labor, rising to the level of Deputy Commissioner. He finished his undergraduate studies at Johnson State College in 1992 and subsequently earned a Masters in Public Administration from UVM and a Masters in Information Technology from Champlain College. He transferred to the Department of Information and Innovation in 2006 where he served as Deputy Commissioner. In 2011, he took a position as Executive Director of the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board. In that role, he was instrumental in implementing the first "text-to-911" capability in the United States. Text-to-911 was a heralded innovation that, beyond providing basic access to 911 service, provided a means for persons in abusive situations and those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, to safely contact authorities without having to speak aloud on the telephone. David retired from State government in 2015.
David was an avid golfer and member of the Barre Country Club. In 2017 he answered an ad when Goddard's WGDR/WGDH community radio station was looking for programmers. David had been involved in community radio at U-32 and Johnson State College, and he jumped at the opportunity to get back behind the microphone. His show, The Long and Winding Road, focused initially on classic rock music, starting with a one-hour mid-week show that grew over the years to a three-hour show on Friday afternoons. David evolved his show in recent years to focus solely on new music – rock, soft country, blues, etc. – and he developed a reputation amongst indie music artists and their labels for his willingness to play music that did not easily reach mainstream radio stations. And, just as he did in his professional life, David took on greater responsibility at the station. At the time of his passing, he was co-music director and chair of the Board. David played an instrumental role in helping the station transition from Goddard College control to a separate 501(c)3 entity, Central Vermont Community Radio. Over the years he developed deep friendships with his fellow programmers at the station and with the current station manager. He also took on the task of mentoring new programmers and especially enjoyed working with students who expressed interest in radio. He and his wife Julie attended hundreds of music concerts over the years. He was, in his heart, foremost a Bruce Springsteen devotee, but he could name and describe hundreds of other musicians from his encyclopedic history with music and musicians.
David is survived by his wife Julie, her children and their extended families; his brother Mark and his wife Cathy, his sister Kay, and the many friends and work colleagues who rallied alongside him during his brief illness. His father Everett passed away in 2002 and his mother Fran passed away in 2004. The family has been blessed for seventy years by the love and care of their Velie Avenue neighbors Dottie and Moe Fortier and their six children.
There will be no calling hours or funeral. David will be interred later this spring at Hope Cemetery in a private service, and plans are underway for a celebration of life to be held later this summer.
Guare and Sons Funeral Home in Montpelier is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Central Vermont Community Radio at 123 Pitkin Road, Plainfield, VT 05667 online at WGDR.org, or to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice.