David Alan Jordan

On September 2, 2019, David Alan Jordan, age 63, of Marietta, Georgia, passed away following a brief, albeit valiant, fight with pancreatic cancer; but for the record, the cancer died with Dave, technically making it a tie. His persistent focus on his goals and uncanny foresight were elemental in constructing a future which was sadly taken from him before all of his dreams were realized. However, Dave lived an incredibly blessed life. He was born on April 24, 1956, and was raised by his loving parents, Peggy Howard Jordan and James Risse Jordan, alongside his sister, Debbie Jordan Davis. Despite his parents’ best efforts to keep him out of trouble, Dave routinely flirted with danger and exercised his proverbial nine lives, living by the mantra, “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than to request permission.” Dave was known for sneaking out of the house at night and pushing his car down the street before starting it, so as not to alert his parents to his moonlighting career as a drag racer against the rich kids at school. When he wasn’t racing down unfinished stretches of I-285, he spent his nights in Underground Atlanta exploiting the typo on his driver’s license that suggested he was two years older. Between his mischievous nocturnal adventures he enjoyed hunting, fishing, studying scripture, and spending time with his family on Lake Allatoona, all passions which he pursued until the last days of his life. In 1974, Dave met the love of his life, Daniela Antoniades Jordan, at a neighborhood party. He promptly played “hard to get,” failing to show up for their first date. In his defense, his diligent quality-control procedures as the party’s bartender hindered his recollection of the invitation altogether. Nevertheless, Dave quickly kindled an unbreakable love with the girl next door, even though their parents believed they were too young for a serious relationship. The two were inseparable; although Dani’s parents attempted to keep them apart, Dave got the last laugh by becoming a waiter at Sizzler just to work alongside her. This triumph was so great that it overshadowed the regular crushing of his ego when Dani earned triple the amount of his tips. The nightly routine consisted of hugs and kisses in person, phone calls when they got home, and light signals from their bedroom windows as they climbed into bed. After a few years of dating, Dave and Dani married in 1978 and shared a “Fairytale Love Story” as described by their friends and family. It was their ferocious love for each other that helped Dave and Dani fight through humble beginnings to both build very successful businesses and a state of financial well-being that would support their lifelong goals and desires. After beginning an architectural career, Dave pursued electrical engineering instead, working for several prominent firms in the greater Atlanta area. In 2003, Dave partnered with his longtime friend and colleague, Craig Molnar, to establish Molnar Jordan & Associates, an engineering firm which specializes in electrical and mechanical design. He prosecuted his business with the same passion and vigor he deployed in all aspects of his life, often receiving praise from clients on his tireless work ethic, flawless execution, and unrivaled service level. Dave was a perfectionist and accepted nothing less than the best from his employees, which is why his family is confident the angels in heaven are excited to welcome a world-class micro-manager. Dave and Dani started their family in 1984, welcoming Nick (David Nicholas Jordan) into the world and quickly expanding the family with the births of Chris (Christopher Daniel Jordan) in 1986 and Callie Alyssa Jordan in 1989. An undeniably incredible father, Dave displayed undying love, support, adoration, pride, mentorship, and dedication to his family. He did everything in his power to attend every baseball game, gymnastics meet, and dance competition, no doubt with a smile on his face (possibly related to the flask of Glenfiddich in his back pocket). Dave always sought ways to create meaningful memories in his children’s lives. Beyond the typical fatherly activities like taking his kids fishing, hunting, to the lake, to ball games, and on vacations, Dave found ways to incorporate himself in his children’s passions, including joining a softball team with Nick and joining the adult dance team at Centre Stage, where Chris and Callie were star performers. More so than many parents, Dave also developed meaningful relationships with his children’s friends and willingly hosted many parties on the houseboat (or “luxurious yacht,” depending on who you ask) to protect his children from ever having to choose between time with friends and family. As his children grew older, Dave demonstrated the importance of commitment to family, friends, and community by being the first to respond to any call for help, even when the task exceeded his area of expertise. Dave could teach himself how to fix anything and had a tool for everything. He insisted on solving a problem himself instead of paying someone else to do it. This “do-it-yourself” mentality is why his passing was rumored to have prompted an emergency board meeting at The Home Depot to address the franchise’s sustainability following the loss of one of its most loyal customers. Dave also taught his children about the value of money through his perpetual pursuit of a good deal. He could never understand why anyone would spend an extra five dollars at the store when you could instead invest countless hours on Craigslist, Amazon, and eBay to find a second-hand alternative, which likely required repairs before it was useable. Though Dave typically operated with a quiet demeanor, he had a unique ability to connect with people and find commonalities. He continually built deep and authentic relationships through his involvement at the lake, the hunting club, and the Bible study group which brought him a newfound spiritual purpose and close friendships with several members of Ebenezer United Methodist Church. It is clear to his family that all of his friends view him as an incredibly generous, selfless, and thoughtful man. He was a true servant of those he loved, counseling anyone in trouble and fully committed to helping those in need. In his free time, Dave was an avid outdoorsman with a true passion for being on the water. The achievement of his 100-ton vessel captain’s license in 2018 represented the final step towards living his dream to charter sunset cruises out of Hilton Head Island, one of Dave and Dani’s favorite places in the world. Although he will never realize this dream, through years of voyages on Lake Allatoona he has been known as “Captain Dave” to family and friends. Indeed this nickname stretches through all facets of his life. They say, “A pessimist complains about the wind, an optimist expects it to change, and a leader adjusts the sails.” Dave was that leader for our family, consistently navigating us through turbulent waters to a docile beach where good times and sunsets were plentiful. While his body may have failed him, we have faith that Captain Dave will soon find another vessel to pilot. In recent years, the family has had the pleasure of enjoying some unforgettable adventures with Dave across the Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and throughout Europe. The countless laughs, stories, and beautiful memories created through these experiences are even more precious now and will forever remain a cornerstone of our family history. Dave’s commitment to his loved ones was encapsulated in his final day as he fought beyond what doctors thought was possible to ensure his entire family could be present for a few last moments together. Having lost even his most basic physical abilities, he struggled mightily to open his eyes, share glances and smiles with each of us one last time, and speak his final words, “I love you.” From the Jordan and Antoniades families and all of his friends: we love you, David Alan Jordan. You will be dearly missed, and we will all endeavor to live our lives in a way that makes you proud. Thank you for all of your gifts -- love, respect, care-giving, camaraderie, and material possessions. We are forever in your debt and you will not be forgotten. We can only pray you are relieved of suffering from pancreatic cancer, cold eggs and overcooked steak. To our dear husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend and fur-baby-daddy, we hope you may rest in peace. In honor of Dave’s life, the family will receive guests between the hours of 5pm and 8pm ET on Friday, September 6, 2019, at H.M. Patterson & Son - Canton Hill Chapel (1157 Old Canton Rd Ne, Marietta, GA 30068). A memorial service will be held at 10am ET on Saturday, September 7, 2019, at Eastside Baptist Church (2450 Lower Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30068) with a Celebration of Life immediately following at The Wing Café and Tap House (2145 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30062). In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you consider a donation in Dave’s name to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (https://www.lustgarten.org/) or Ebenezer United Methodist Church (https://ebzumc.org/).