David Charles Rubin

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In Alameda California where he (and his sister Diane) grew up (and he earned his Eagle Scout) or around the Alameda neighborhood in Portland while he was walking his little dog, Tyke? Did you know him from Oregon State where he majored in Forestry and then earned two Master’s Degrees (Finance and Computer Science)? Might you have known him when he was married to his first wife, Linda, and they owned a Filbert orchard west of Portland and spent time at their beach cabin in Netarts? Did you meet when he moved to D.C. to support her doctoral dissertation and he did research for Congress?

Back in Portland, David worked for the U.S. General Accounting Office and met his second wife, Barb. Together they travelled internationally and enjoyed the treasure hunt for special antiques. He was delighted being a “dad” to her daughter, Artie, who was about six when he came into her life. David lovingly and generously supported Artie “as his own.”

In our journey through life, there is inevitably hurt and loss. David’s first significant exposure to loss was the death of his mother, Freida, during final exams of his freshman year in college. When he toured Ann Frank’s house in Amsterdam, David came to tears seeing pictures that seemed to him so similar to ones of his maternal grandmother and a reminder that his own family of origin may have suffered in ways he would never know. His father, Sol, lived an active 97 years. David knew little of his paternal grandparents other than they had immigrated from Russia to Canada and then to Kansas. Perhaps this is why the television program, “Finding Your Roots” was one of his favorites.

As a testament to David’s resilience and determination to live his life forward, he believed that “When one door closes, another will open.” A new “door” opened just as 9/11 happened and he opened his heart to his current wife, Ann, and her daughters, Bre (Brian) and Shay (Andy). While he played a significant role in each of their lives, “Grampa” will be sorely missed by the grandchildren, Ellie, Stanley, Max, Rosie and Ruby. He had a special way of teaching them how to build things, and he was always on the lookout for things they could use (like his collection of bikes of varying sizes). “Grampa” was known to have an endless supply of the right size battery and “Mr. Fix it” became an appropriate moniker.

David also believed that “If you can do something yourself, or at least figure out how to do it (a great fan of You-tube videos), you just did it.” This made him a valuable employee at Bonneville Power Administration as IT skills became more and more relevant and later as he was asked to take on special projects involving finance. While at BPA, he was most pleased by the success of people he hired and mentored. He also volunteered as a Science Bowl Judge and in support of other educational opportunities for young people.

Again, since you are interested in his obituary, how do you remember seeing him? Every day of his 40 years at BPA, David wore a specially selected tie…his collection surely worthy of an art installation somewhere! Maybe your image of David was in his well-worn work clothes, likely treasured for their holes, paint stains and frayed hems long before that became high style! Wearing his funky hats or glasses? With dark hair or his bald very short-clipped style (after getting new clippers…because, of course, he trimmed his own hair.) Do you remember seeing him in his motor cycle leathers (riding his Harley), in hiking gear summiting Mt. Hood or Mt. St. Helen, in ski gear atop Black Diamond Runs on Mt. Bachelor (his many selfies posted to FB), in a wet suit waterskiing, or “normal” clothes when kayaking, biking or hiking? Perhaps you remember him at the gym (proud to press 400 lbs.), or roofing and painting his 2-story homes, shoveling snow or blowing leaves (including for neighbors). Did you see him in the kitchens (he, himself, had built) wearing an apron and applying his creative cooking skills? Perhaps you remember him at an antique or estate sale where he collected flow-blue dishes, glassware, Old World Christmas ornaments and many tools. Being quite frugal, he educated himself on value and always negotiated a good deal. David was a voracious reader (collector of information which he enjoyed sharing for the benefit of others). Perhaps you remember him from Zoom sessions that he attended regularly to keep his realtor license current.

David was always “doing” and didn’t shy from dangerous, dirty, or just plain hard work whether it was solo piloting a plane, his many major building projects, or the ordinary work to take care of property. So it was on the morning of June 9th when he was cutting tall grasses on a steep slope…something he had done for 20 years. Standing at the top of a vertical rock wall, something caused him to lose his balance and the concrete sidewalk below was unforgiving to his head. He did not suffer. David had worked diligently to maintain his health both physically and mentally. His accidental death in spite of his significant fitness, is truly sad.

NOTE: To honor David’s life, an informal memorial service will be held Saturday, September 24th, 2022 at 2:30 at Ross Hollywood Funeral Chapel: 4733 NE Thompson St., Portland, OR 97213.

We look forward to hearing your memories of David and we will share a fun picture montage. A nearby outdoor reception will follow the service. (Intersection of NE Alameda and NE Klickitat St…maps provided at the service)

David was born in Honolulu, HI and proudly wore his Hawaiian shirts. If you happen to have a Hawaiian shirt in the back of your closet, this would be a great time to wear it. Hoping you can join family and friends in sharing your own remembrances of him.