DAVID P. BERGLAND

1935 - 2019

DAVID P. BERGLAND June 4, 1935- June 3, 2019 David P Bergland died on June 3, 2019, one day shy of his 84th birthday. By all accounts, he lived a remarkable life filled with interesting pursuits and unique accomplishments. David grew up on the beaches of southern California along with his five sisters. Being one of six children, in a 1930s household, he had great freedom and responsibility, and he enjoyed both. He had his first job, shining shoes, at age 7, and paid for his first car at age 15. Upon graduating from high school, David joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1953-1955, first at Killeen Base in Texas and then at Fort Knox, Kentucky. In 1957, David married Diane Gilbert. Tragically, Diane died 16 years later, leaving him alone to raise their three, young teenage daughters, At the time of Diane's death, David was early on in his law career after having graduated from USC law school in 1969. He worked for several well-respected, Los Angeles law firms before going out on his own in 1979. Although David continued practicing law throughout his life, the work that he most often recalled -with both pride and enthusiasm - was the work he did as a lifeguard in Long Beach, CA, and then as a firefighter and inspector for the City of Los Angeles. The physicality and adventure of it all led to years and years of service, and experiences that never left him. As a young adult, David developed an interest in politics and an appreciation for libertarian principles, such as limited government, personal freedom and free-market principles. He joined the Libertarian Party in 1973 and began an impressive rise up the ranks that culminated in him being chosen to be the party's presidential candidate in 1984. As part of his campaign, he authored the book Libertarianism in One Lesson widely hailed as "the best short introduction to libertarianism." In addition to his remarkable career, later in life, when most people would be settling in, David shook things up. In 1999, at the age of 64, he surprised everyone (and at the same time, perhaps no one) by entering the famous Muscle Beach bodybuilding competition in Venice, CA, taking third place for seniors. In 1994, he started practicing karate and by 2008 he had earned his third degree blackbelt. At his original dojo in California, and then at Tri-City Kempo Karate, he was seen as a tough but patient sensei, and soon, one of the oldest at age 80. It's then that he took special delight in watching the Kennewick students carry out the dojo's ritual of celebrating birthdays by having students perform the number of push-ups to match their sensei's age. Among many passions, David particularly loved music (blues), cars (fast) and books (all kinds). He in fact devoured books and retained knowledge in such a way that he could often produce answers to questions faster than Wikipedia. He never took to eReaders, and as a result, the Kennewick Public Library is the beneficiary of hundreds of books that he has given away. In 1984, David married the love of his life, Sharon Ayres, and together they went on to demonstrate for all around them what a dedicated, passionate marriage looks like. David will be missed by all, but sorely missed by his soulmate, Sharon. Until days before his death, David kept up his weekly strength-training and cardio routine, and stayed on top of his work commitments as an independent trustee for a California-based mutual fund. As he had always wanted and hoped for, David died physically strong and mentally sharp. David's legacy lives on through his 3 daughters, 2 stepsons, 8 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. His life will be celebrated on June 29th, 3:00-5:00 pm, at the Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland, WA.