David Brinley Cave

David Cave was born in in Worcester, Massachusetts to James Highly and Elizabeth Brinley Cave. David spent most of his childhood in Massachusetts. David’s father was from England, and during WW2 when David was a young boy living in Cohasset, it was not unusual for the family dining room to be filled with members of the British Navy on leave in Boston looking for a good meal. David grew up with his older brother James “Tim” Cave, and sister Patricia ”Trisha” Cave. The family was a member of the Cohasset Yacht Club where David developed his lifelong passion for sailing at an early age. David later attended Culver Military Academy in Indiana and it was an experience he recalled often. Upon graduation David joined the United States Air Force and was stationed in Texas and Plattsburgh NY, where he was a boom operator on a KC 135 refueling tanker.

After discharge from the Air Force, and encouragement from his father and first wife Eleanor Chamberlain, David enrolled in Babson College, and supplemented his income by working in local hospital as an ambulance driver. David’s first son James Cave was born this time, and David would often bring young James to college classes at Babson College in a bassinet parked under his desk. Two years later David had a daughter Kristin Elizabeth Cave, shortly after he graduated Babson College with a BA in Business. His first big job opportunity took David to southern California where he eventually began a highly successful career in Los Angeles in the life insurance industry with Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. A promotion later took David to Denver and eventually he started his own brokerage, married again and welcomed this third child Trevor Cave. In 1978 David was offered an opportunity to open a new Life Insurance Division for Alexander and Alexander Insurance Company in New York. While living in Stamford, Connecticut he reconnected with his passion for sailing and purchased his first of many sailboats and was a member of the Stamford Yacht Club.

After many successful years working in Manhattan, David longed for a quieter life style and to own his own business again, and purchased a janitorial supply company in Portland, Maine. David successfully ran this business for eight years with his wife and son Jim, and quadrupled sales before David sold the business in 1987. David met the love of his life Carol during this time, and they married in 1990. David and Carol enjoyed many adventures during this time period, including developing and opening a night club in Cancun, Mexico with David’s lifelong friend Carlo Venezia, before moving to San Francisco to go back into the Life Insurance industry with another lifelong friend Wayne Rawls.

David’s parents owned a winter residence for many years on Sea Island, GA and after the passing on his father, David often drove his mother Elizabeth from New Hampshire to Sea Island. It was during that time period David dreamed of retiring on St. Simons Island, and he and Carol made that dream come true in 1995. David and Carol met many wonderful friends on the island and David cherished his weekly “Romeo” lunches with his friends on the island. ROMEO stood for Retired Old Men Eating Out. Having given up sailing David reignited his passion for golf and enjoyed many years of golfing with friends at Sea Island and Brunswick Country Clubs.

David will long be remembered as a loving and caring father, husband, and cherished advisor to many friends and family over the years. If you had a challenge you were wrestling with, David was a tremendous listener, never judging, and always offering sage advice, before becoming your greatest cheerleader in life. David had a unique personality, shaped by the WWII generation, firery and intense at times, but you always knew where David stood on any issue. David will be missed by all who knew him for many years to come. Rest in Peace.

A Celebration of Life service will be Friday, July 28, 2023 at 2:00pm in the Chapel of Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home, 3321 Glynn Avenue, Brunswick, GA 31520. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.edomillerandsons.com for the Cave family.