David Leo "Dave" Motherway Jr.

1/20/1968 - 8/20/2022

Stonington - David Leo "Dave" Motherway Jr., beloved son, husband, father, brother, uncle, nephew and friend, was suddenly taken from his family and loved ones Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022.

David is survived by the love of his life and wife of 22 years, Kathie Dean Motherway; his children, Sydney Cragan Motherway, Erin Alene Motherway and David "Leo" Motherway III; his parents, David Leo Motherway and Mary Cragan Motherway; his sister Melissa Motherway Christian and her husband James Matthias Christian; a large extended family of Motherways, Deans, Cragans, Vargas and Christians; and countless friends who were family to him.

Born in Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 1968, Dave graduated from Stonington High School in 1986, the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1991, and the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2002. He proudly served as an officer in the Coast Guard in New York, N.Y., Corpus Christi, Texas, and New Orleans, La. At the Academy and through his tours in the Coast Guard, Dave traveled to many places including the Caribbean, the Middle East, Australia, and Europe, visiting six of the seven continents.

After moving to Chicago, Ill., to join the GE Railcar Division, Dave met Kathie in the elevator of their apartment building. From that moment, she knew he was an extremely special man. After marrying April 1, 2000, Dave and Kathie moved first to Candia, N.H., when he joined Howtek as head of sales, and then to Boca Raton, Fla., where Sydney was born. They were excited to return north when David started working at IDX in Burlington, Vt., where they welcomed Erin and Leo. The family moved to Chantilly, Va., when GE bought IDX, where he represented and supported the Veterans Administration in D.C. through his work. The moment he had a job opportunity at AthenaHealth where he could live anywhere, David and his family collectively chose to make Stonington their home. Recently, David was extremely excited to be able to lead a team in person again as head of sales at Qure4u, who he made his second family. He was so proud to always have a career that helped people.

Wherever they were living, Dave brought his children and wife home to Stonington, almost every summer to sail, swim, play tennis and spend time with precious family. Stonington has been his maternal ancestors' home for generations; and his parents have lived in his childhood home since he was seven years old. The Stonington community always felt like home to them and always will.

Dave was community oriented. Many say he was the embodiment of Stonington. Year after year, he volunteered to teach students at Stonington High School about Stonington Ice, a business that had been run by his family for multiple generations prior to refrigeration. A lifelong member of the Wadawanuck Club, Dave was currently the commodore of the club, on the Stonington Board of Finance, a member of the Old Mystic Fire District Board, his son's scout master for Troop 10 of Westerly, the treasurer of the Stonington Rowing Club and a member of both the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Groton Sportsmen's Club.

One of Dave's greatest strengths was his ability to bring people together and to make them feel welcome and important. He made friends everywhere and always made sure he said "hello" to everyone he knew as well as those he had never met. Wherever he went, he brought his huge smile and contagious Santa Claus-like laughter, making strangers into friends and friends into family. He laughed often and unapologetically, even passing out more than once from laughing too hard.

David would do anything for anyone and was a dedicated father to his children. Many of their friends affectionately called him "Dad" and Kathie "Mom." At every school the kids attended, Dave made sure he knew when and where school field trips were and would arrange work plans to be there, ensuring that Sydney, Erin and Leo's field trip groups had the best time out of anyone.

David was an avid outdoorsman, sportsman, sports fan and coach. He played football and was captain of his team in high school, then football, hockey and lacrosse in college. He built ice rinks every winter in his family's backyard in Burlington, to ensure they knew how to skate and play hockey, and continued playing on any team he could find for the rest of his life. He loved the Patriots, Bruins, Celtics and Red Sox. He volunteered to coach in every city, whether it was serving underprivileged youth in Chicago, or the University of Vermont Club football team. Coach Motherway helped bring back and coached the first UVM football team since 1974, which his family proudly cheered for on the sidelines of many games. His favorite sporting events to watch and coach, however, were soccer, tennis, basketball, football, baseball, hockey, skiing, crew and sailing when Sydney, Erin and Leo were playing or racing. He was the best coach they have ever had. After every game or event, he would always say, "Love watching you play, kid."

David Jr. hunted and fished with his family every chance he could. He especially loved spending time deer, duck and pheasant hunting with his father David, who also taught him the way around boats and the water, a legacy he passed on to his children. He grew up sailing with his family in his home waters of Stonington, and New England, and spent most of his life on the water in Stonington, throughout the country and abroad. He sailed six of the seven seas and found a sailing community wherever he went. There was nothing that made him happier than being on a boat with the people that he loved.

Dave constantly made the best of what he was given and chose to be happy under any circumstance. He knew how to make people smile and feel loved. He certainly worked hard and undoubtedly knew how to have fun. David Leo Motherway Jr. was fun, funny, generous and genuine; and he will be deeply missed by all who were blessed to know him.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at Saint Mary Church, 95 Main Street, Stonington. A burial at sea, as David had always said he wanted, will be held Monday morning. The Cecelia Ann will depart at 9 a.m. at the Cross Sound Ferry Terminal at 2 Ferry Street, New London. Those attending should arrive early to allow ample time to park and board the ferry. The Water Street Garage across the street at 160 Water Street, New London, is available for overflow parking. All are invited to share memories of David at memoriesofdavidleomotherwayjr.shutterfly.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in David's name to the Stonington Veterans Memorial Fund at Stonington Veterans Memorial Fund at 152 Elm Street, Stonington, CT 06378 or Yawgoog Scout Reservation at 61 Camp Yawgoog Road, Rockville, RI 02873.