David Mills Aldinger

1939 - 2019

David Mills Aldinger

7- 24-1939 - 5- 5- 2019

David Mills Aldinger, 79, passed away peacefully in his Fernbridge residence on Sunday, May 5, 2019, while in the loving care and companionship of his wife, Marie Tilstra Aldinger. David was born July 24, 1939, in Pittsburg, PA to John and Genevieve Aldinger, and he spent most of his childhood in St. Louis, MO. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University in 1965 and then settled in Northern California, where he lived for the remainder of his life. David received his teaching credential from Humboldt State University in 1977 and went on to teach in Mendocino, Trinity, and Lake Counties, before returning to Humboldt County to teach in Fortuna in 1993. David retired from teaching in 2009, shifting his finely honed counseling skills to the Humboldt Alcohol Recovery Treatment program, helping others in their journey to recovery from addiction.
David is lovingly remembered as a dreamer, storyteller, adventurer, philosopher, intellectual, theologist, artist, teacher, counselor, and spiritual adviser. He provided a flare of comedy for every life he touched. David was an avid musician and multi-instrumentalist. He developed a passion for the Cello in his 40's and went on to play with the Shasta and Eureka Symphonies. In his retirement, he continued to play and teach string music as well as fundraise and advocate for local musical groups. He loved traveling and appreciated diverse viewpoints, cultures, and cuisines.
David is survived by wife Marie; brothers Jay and Tom and their families; sons Matthew, Lucas and their mother Dixie; daughter Sarah and her mother Sally; daughter Jean and husband Nathan; son Thomas and wife Julie; and grandchildren Asher, Olivia, and Abigail. They look forward to the next adventure with him.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 29th at 4 pm at The Fortuna Seventh Day Adventist Church, with a celebratory reception and meal to follow. David's family invites all who would like to join in remembering David's life. In lieu of flowers, donations in David Aldinger's name can be made to the Eureka Symphony.