David Chandler Bullard

Dave was born November 15, 1951, in Fort Hood, Texas. He was the son of Clarence P. Bullard and Reva Lorene Chandler Bullard. His father served in the US Army during most of Dave’s childhood, and the family moved often. As a boy he very much enjoyed drawing, dinosaurs, garden snakes, and Terrapins. He graduated from Heidelberg American High School in a German castle. During high school, he began a life-long involvement with music.

After high school, he journeyed to the University of South Florida with friend Mick Wiggins. Dave became a driving force behind The Whispering Palm Trees, a folk band that played around the USF campus, and Hot Cakes, an Americana band before there was an Americana genre. The music evolved and a group of friends developed, that would follow Dave throughout his life.

In Tampa he met and married Carol Henderson, and they had two children, Daniel and Sarah. The family evolved and eventually moved to Wisconsin.

As a young man, Dave was inspired by Woody Guthrie - hoping for a carefree life of travel. Although many early years were tied to specific locations, eventually, Dave made and visited friends in Europe and throughout the United States, Cuba, and Mexico. He dreamed of traveling, and he was able to realize that dream. It must be said, that his favorite destinations were all on the main Hawaiian Islands. Dave loved the spirit of Aloha.

He was a man of many gifts. He was an artist, a musician, a song writer, and a poet. As such, he had the ability to make everyone around him feel comfortable.

Dave’s life and the memories he created will be cherished by his partner of 35 years, Leon Russell, his children Daniel Bullard and Sarah Bullard Arredondo, son-in-law Nicolas Arredondo, and grandchildren Ian and Isaiah Bullard, and Elizabeth, Maddox and Margaret Arredondo. He is also survived by his sisters, Peggy Laubenstein, Carol Stafford, Mandy (Bradley) Vowell. He also leaves many good friends, including an extended local family that includes Carol and Rick Ferriss, Diana Ferguson, Becky Palmer, Kate Ferriss, Brian Taylor, and Patrick Thomson. He leaves a host of nephews and nieces and cousins and other friends to cherish his memory.