David Picheny

David was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent his youth growing up in Brooklyn and Freeport, NY. He graduated from Baldwin Senior High School in 1965 and went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in 1970. David married Janet (Leibowitz) in 1970 and they raised their family in Sharon, MA before retiring to Boston, MA and then Longboat Key, FL.

David had an entrepreneurial spirit and began his career running various commissary kitchens, including Dandy Food Service in Quincy, MA, which supplied meals to the Boston Public Schools in the 1980s. In his 40s, David earned his opticianry license and went on to own two vibrant optical shops in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. David would travel to optical shows in New York City and Milan to bring back bold, colorful, fashion-forward eyewear to his Boston customers. He loved talking with everyone who came into his stores and the relationships he made in the retail industry were the highlight of his career.

David described himself as an emotional person who always stood up for his beliefs. He was known for his passion for food, his fantastic bird whistle, and his silly sense of humor. He loved to make people laugh and feel good about themselves and went out of his way to tell others how much he appreciated them. Despite living with debilitating pain for many years, David maintained a positive outlook and took every opportunity to show gratitude for the many wonderful people he met and adventures he experienced throughout his life.

Above all else, David’s children and grandchildren were the greatest joys of his life. David loved being a “girl dad”. He was a supportive listener and openminded confidant for Michelle and Marisa, and was always excited to spend time with them, whether watching them play sports, driving them the long distance to college, visiting them while they studied abroad, cooking with them in their kitchens, or just calling them for a chat. As a Grampy, David could be found making up long, goofy stories, playing endless rounds of card and board games, and swimming in the pool or fishing with his grandkids. For David, family life was the best part of living.

David is survived by his adoring daughters Michelle (Ben) Langille of Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA and Marisa (Adam) Goldberg of Ardsley, NY; grandchildren James, Stella, Addie and Lyla; brother Steven Picheny of Great Barrington, MA and Naples, FL, sister- and brother-in-laws Helice and Sandy Picheny, and Bruce, Leslie, Donald and Robin Leibowitz; and many treasured friends and family members. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 54 years, Janet, his parents, Abe and Miriam Picheny, and his brother, Robert Picheny.

Private cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s name may be made to Kaplan Family Hospice House, (Danvers, MA) with gratitude for the compassionate care he received at the end of his life.