Gary David Obituary

Gary Edward David
December 7, 1942 - October 25, 2021
Gary Edward David passed away peacefully on October 25, 2021. The oldest child of William "Bill" and Marilyn (nee Thomas) David, Gary was born on December 7, 1942 in the unforgettable city of San Francisco. He was a graduate of South San Francisco High School and San Francisco State University.
In addition to being a gifted painter and sculptor, Gary was a talented photographer, musician, set designer, and the list goes on and on… He worked as an art teacher in the South San Francisco Unified School District for 36 years. Referred to as "Mr. D" by his students, he was widely known as the "cool teacher" and he touched the lives of many.
Gary had an unlimited imagination and loved meeting new people. He had the ability to make an immediate connection with others and often wore his heart on his sleeve. He had a great sense of humor (although a few might beg to differ!) and was just an all-around great guy. The world is inarguably less bright without his presence.
Gary loved B.B. King, the 49ers, and Disneyland. He hated snobbery, selfishness, and chocolate (yes, chocolate!).
Gary is survived by his loving wife Monica David, and their children Heather David, Steve Camahort, Elisa Camahort Page, and Cristina Tate, their respective spouses – David Willyard, Elizabeth Clark, Chris Page, and Danny Tate, and his grandchildren – Francesca Camahort, Andreas Camahort, Julietta Camahort, Ryan Tate, and Alex Tate. He will forever be missed by his beloved siblings Cory David and Lynette Fox, and Bill, Joffre, Claudia, and Izzy Fox.
In lieu of flowers or donations, we ask that you perform a random act of kindness each day. That is what Gary David would do.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Oct. 28 to Oct. 31, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Gary David

11 Entries

Charles Jalgunas

March 23, 2024

I was one of Gary's students at Southwood Junior High School in 1979 and 80 and he was instrumental in helping me navigate my art experimentation and overcome some bullying problems. Then he and I both moved to El Camino High School after Southwood closed due to declining enrollment. In 1984 he invited me and my girlfriend out for sushi and into his home. We got to experience a bit of his passion for music and hi fi and a soak in the hot tub, and try sushi for our first time.
I don't have the words to fully explain how influential this man was to me but without a doubt it was significant. From his art instruction, to his humanity and acceptance, to his ability to encourage one to always strive to for their best, he was amazing for me.
Throughout your high school and middle school experience, you have something like 25 or 35 teachers. Gary David will remain in my top two, and my kid and other folks I interact with with benefit from that forever.
Godspeed Gary, I wish I had gotten this message back to you sooner.

Susanne Boatman Ross

November 6, 2021

As an unusual occurrence I was flipping through the obituaries of the SF Chronicle and Gary David´s name caught my attention. I am very saddened to see that this is the same Gary I knew.

My heavy heart sends condolences to all his family whom I know are devastated....Monica, Heather, Cory, Lyn and the rest of the family. I have so many beautiful memories. I am so sorry. Susanne

Kirk and Paula Ferreira

November 5, 2021

Gary heres to you and your dad creating beautiful Christmas decorations in heaven.
Love Kirk and Paula

Terry Andreacchi

November 2, 2021

Gary David will be missed... so many memories of Gary. He is at peace, we are heart broken.

The Kisling Family

November 2, 2021

Thank you for being a memory that brings smiles.

Charlotte Seekamp

November 1, 2021

Another of Mr. David's 8th grade students, he was a wonderful teacher and i have been an artist all my life. Sorry to hear of this inspiring man's passing. Sincere sympathy to his family & close friends.

Mary Francon

October 31, 2021

I had him for 8th art and I'll always remember him for being kind and encouraging. So glad to see he had a good full life. My condolences to his family.

Cyndi Savage Tudor

October 30, 2021

Mr. David was a great teacher that touch many lives in a positive manner. Please accept my condolences. RIP in Peace Mr. David.

Ben Valdez

October 30, 2021

I had Mr. David art class My Jr year he was a great teacher was cracking jokes, and it was always be great talking to him about the 49ers.

Cory Alan David

October 30, 2021

What do you say about a Brother like Gary? As you will learn, quite a lot. I was born eleven years after my Brother, seven years after my adorable Sister Lynette. As my Father would jokingly (?) tell me, I was not planned but was a "Martini Baby" as my lightweight parents were not big drinkers and one drink would see their eyes glaze over. What would a Brother eleven years senior do about this unplanned arrival in his life? The answer is, he would dote over me every day of my life.

My Brother made a point of including me in everything from the get-go. Whether it be saving up his hard earned money to buy me toy trucks, carting me and my friends around in his barely running customized '53 Ford, being my accelerator pedal on the Autopia at Disneyland, or letting this five year old sit in on drums in his garage band. He would weave fantasies for his little Brother like building forts for me at "Montezuma Island" in the Sacramento Delta made from debris that would wash up on the shores, one with a rowboat roof and a working water heater fireplace. When our Dad's company sold wired home intercoms, my Brother built me a space capsule from a cardboard box with all the details drawn in and he was the voice of "Mission Control." We shared a bedroom for eleven years until he moved out after getting married and starting his thirty-six year career as a school teacher. All at the ripe old age of twenty-two. Yes , people actually graduated from college in four years back then. He would eventually move to San Rafael and frequently have me over for weekends, then take me home Monday mornings on his way to teach school in his 1959 Volkswagen as we battled making it up the Waldo Grade with twenty-five horsepower on tap. He taught me to build as he added a free standing garage to his home, not permitted or inspected, as there was a time that if you wanted to do something, you just did it. Later in life we would team up on building my home addition, which he wired and helped me sheath, and on some set construction at El Camino High School, the school he taught at and I attended in my youth. We made a great team.

Gary and I stayed close all our years as we shared many interests and hobbies. When Gary took an interest in a hobby, he was all in. He was an artist and prolific painter and sculptor, an audiophile, a musician who could not read music but could play any instrument and who amassed a huge collection of instruments ( talked me into buying a five string jazz bass which I can not play to this day), a photographer, a builder and fabricator of garden railroads, a collector, but less a shooter, of guns (although on the occasion he would shoot, watching his slight frame discharging a black powder rifle with the accompanying muzzle flash was quite a sight), and, with his little Brother a lover of cars, both real and toy. He was a real life "Renaissance Man." We went on several "Guy" houseboat trips attended by family and friends where his lack of fishing skills were more than made up for with his ability to make us all laugh. We shared both the joys and the heartaches of our San Francisco 49ers.

Gary and I would go to the occasional car show, airplane display, or museum show but mostly got together for breakfast or lunch to the North in my South San Francisco or to the South in his Sunnyvale. We tried to see each other as often as possible as we always had some project big or small waiting for us. Ultimately we would be interrupted by the pandemic and relegated to phone calls. While we were in agreement, strangely, on some of those phone calls we still argued about politics. We had been doing this since the Viet Nam War when we argued at the breakfast table at our childhood home. Still in agreement but David's love to argue.

As his daughter, my Niece, Heather stated, "he's a bad#$%." Couldn't agree more. In his last battle, he held the invader at bay for several years but it eventually took him from us. All things considered, he had a "great run" in his almost seventy nine years but as we all know, there is never enough time but there is always a time.

Without doubt, I was blessed with the best Brother I could have ever wished for and while he already knew that, I was able to put it into words and share it with him before he left me. He loved me for all my days and I will forever love him for the rest of mine.

Jenny Tripp

October 30, 2021

What a funny, wonderful and caring guy he was. I'm so glad he had a good life, full of family and grandkids and art - all the good stuff. My condolences to his wife, children and grandchildren, and hugs to Cory and Lynette.

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