David Leslie Dausel

1953 - 2024

My Dearest David,

I am so grateful that god brought you into my life! It was wonderful meeting someone with similar values and interests! Your love of the natural world and wanting to be in it captivated me! We traveled through the mountains and glaciers on skies, then started running dogs even - northward, and paddled rivers with a dog or two. I remember one of our first long canoe trips; we were camping on the Blackstone with fresh grizzly tracks all around us. That realization that I was at home with you wherever we went! You were never afraid, always took your time, and could fix anything that broke on the trail (including two broken runners on my toboggan one trip).

We traveled with my sister Marcia and her husband Mike and occasionally with her friend, but most of the time we traveled alone with our dogs enjoying the friendship that we made along the trail and in the villages that we passed through.

David, your love and respect for elders and family brought me all the love to you! Your esteem for your father Leo, who was a World War II Navy Veteran, grew into a deepening admiration for him after he retired to support your mother, Eva's dream of starting a private Christian School. As children, you and your two sisters Bonnie and Christie helped along with your Scandinavian grandparents Charlie, Lucille, and Viggo. Your love of learning Danish came from them as well as your continuing enjoyment of elders everywhere, gravitating to many in our community over the years.

David, I so loved your appreciation for all living things, but especially your kind and loving heart, for our dogs! One trip I just couldn't leave behind my old dog Junior so you brought him the entire way in our sled along with our foot-ball sized puppy T.J. Only you could do this!

We were both so grateful to have our nephew Simon and niece Rosie become so much a part of our lives through the years. How wonderful it was to be able to share our love of music, nature, and just have time to spend together. We especially enjoyed playing music around the camp fire with our neighbor, Doug, Marty, and Jim.

On our last journey together we didn't travel at all but it proved to be the most memorable. The health crisis that hit us in California was intense but you took it all in stride and started counting all the blessings that you saw around us; reconnecting with your sister, Christie who was there for us in our time of great need, sister, Bonnie, your aunt, Doris and uncle, Danny, cousin, Dana and family, and nephews, Michael and Tim.

We enjoyed so many of the beautiful natural areas near us no matter how badly you felt. Through your complications were immense you were always hopeful, courageous, and lived your life fully to the end! During your last week your friends Andy and his wife Ellen and I were able to get you that rare Tecate Cypress grove in the mountains that you had been wanting to see all year!

I miss our daily fellowships - you reading and translating from your Danish Bible while I read from the English.

David, you have been my home on this Earth. I know that I will always miss you, but I also know that you are now peacefully safe and that when my time comes, If God is willing, I will see you again.

David, I love you so much - thank you for loving me!

Your partner and wife,

Karen