Buddy Burden

November 25, 2021

Dave always organized the bad movie nights at the annual Perl convention. Today, watching the Turkey Day MST3K marathon, I can't help but think of him. He had the most extensive collection of bad movies I ever saw, and was ready to deploy them at a moment's notice. After the first couple of years, I started bringing my kids to watch the movies with us. One year, in Houston, we couldn't get a movie room at the convention hotel, so one of the local attendees invited us to his home, and we all trooped over there to enjoy Dave's collection. I wish I could remember the name of the flick we watched that night, but I do recall that we laughed so hard that someone (Chip Salzenberg, I think) actually fell out of their chair.

Hanging out with Dave was my favorite part of the convention. I hope that we eventually get back to having conventions in-person one day, but even then I don't think they'll ever be the same again without Dave. I didn't know him as well as many of my fellow Perl programmers, but I will miss him greatly nonetheless.

Mark Fowler

November 22, 2021

I remember this one time I realized I had a connecting flight via NYC with United. United, being United, I told Dave on IRC (in one of the Internet Relay Chat rooms Dave and I frequented) as a joke that I'd meet him for sushi when they inevitably screwed up their connection.

7pm at night I'm stuck on the floor of an airport awaiting for the flight that's now been pushed back to midnight. I mention this to Dave online, and he tells me I'd better jump in a cab then to his local sushi joint and he'll meet me there. In the end that was one of the best travel experiences I've had.

Every interaction I ever saw Dave have was like this. He went out of his way to make people happy, and he always had the best time doing it. He will be missed.

Carlos Orihuela

November 21, 2021

David was my roommate my senior year at Penn, and we bonded immediately over our shared love of good food, Month Python, The Grateful Dead, science fiction and travel. Together with our neighbor and great friend, Cyndi Connolly, we became lasting friends, and he cheerfully endured my blasting his stereo to celebrate the end of a hard day, or of finals week... When visiting California for Gallifrey and other conventions, he would stay with us, and we have vivid memories of animated conversations (and very strong positions!) taken on an array of topics. David had so many deep and varied interests, and was an appreciative and avid collector of both prized objects and treasured friends. I always admired how he gave of his time and devotion so freely and unconditionally— I am the better for having known David, and we will honor him with a toast and a screening of “The Holy Grail”!

Howard Presant

November 21, 2021

Laura and I knew David and his parents for over thirty years.
David was a charming and sophisticated person we will miss but always remember

Elizabeth Mattijsen

November 20, 2021

Wendy and I met David at many Perl and Open Source related events in the past 20 years or so. It was always great to meet up again with him and enjoy each others company.

This photo of Wendy and David both makes me very happy (remembering the good times that we had) and sad (knowing those good times will not come again anymore).

FROM THE FAMILY

FROM THE FAMILY