David Thornton Utz

David never made it to the professional surfing circuit, maybe growing up on Palm Island is to blame with waves only occasionally lifting or maybe it was that stick he rode, hand crafted by his thrifty father. Despite looking good it weighed a ton and traveled 2” below the surface. No problem, David naturally exuded that laid back Siesta vibe and got ripped caring it. He didn’t get worked up about much and loved to joke around.

It’s the deep body-shaking laugh we will miss the most. Some might call it a belly laugh but he never had a belly. He did spin classes before there were cell phones and yoga when we thought it was a cult. There was that stretch in the 90’s when he did his “guerilla workout” which consisted of riding his beach cruiser around town, pedaling up the only parking deck, doing pullups on the water pipes in the lower levels and pushups on the roof. He was a looker like his mom, Louise Prohaska, a famous Chicago model. But not just a pretty face, he was creative too and like his father, Thornton Utz, he earned a living with his art.

David never had an HBO comedy show, but of his five siblings, he definitely had the best sense of humor. He once told me he had a recurring nightmare that someone stole everything in his house but his paintings … then started in on that deep laugh. Of all of us, Sandy and Doug Pitcher will miss that laugh the most and along with his grandkids, Chase, Matthew, Lilly & Savannah. They called him Daddio and received all the tenderness that he showed his cats … which is remarkable.

No, he didn’t win The Pritzker either but that pallet of bricks for his 14th birthday was a memorable (and hated in the moment) birthday present. He did go on to build himself a fantastical hideout on the vacant lot next door. After getting married, he built a funky house on his own. He went on to build and rebuild a life that was made to accommodate the breezy carefree way he moved through this world.

David Utz died April 20, 2026, and was lucky to have his big sister Wendy Leonard and daughter, Sandy Pitcher by his side. Doug Pitcher shined as they rounded 3rd base together and helped David slide into Home. Phil Lordi, his younger brother, was the best at keeping up with David on the regular and the first to show up on project days. Dawn Hadley, little sister, remains as the chief organizer and cheerleader for the remnants of our crew. David’s other sister, Merrily Crowe, died a few years back. Scotty Utz, the littlest sibling, well, he got this writing assignment and hopes to grow into his brother's vibe.