David Dean Horwitz

Blues photographer, avid bicyclist, table tennis enthusiast, swimmer, artist, city planner, and gardener left the bonds that bound his body in ways he couldn’t accept. Born in Summit Township outside Milwaukee in 1946, he was the adopted son of Heinz Horwitz and Clara Levy. Clara passed away shortly thereafter, and Heinz married Sylvia Smotkin. His parents and his sister Melissa all preceded him in death. He attended Washington High School and discovered his love of art with the help of a sensitive teacher. David went on to become a display artist professional, a job he always considered his favorite. He moved to California, and served as an artist in the Army in Vietnam. His love of R&B and soul music brought him great enjoyment, and he started photographing blues musicians in Los Angeles in 1971.

Moving away from LA, he went north and attended Mendocino College, attaining degrees in art and social science, focusing on history. His career took many turns and he worked as a city planner in Ukiah for several years, clocking in thousands of miles on his bicycle in the hills, earning the nickname “Goat.”

David moved to Tucson in 1982, working again in city planning, then as the Public Information Officer for the Tucson Water Department. But retirement called to him, with its freedom from offices, and he spent more time perfecting his art through photography. He traveled the country in his old classic cars, and developed friendships with musicians in the blues world at music festivals and clubs from California to Wyoming, Davenport Iowa, Louisiana, and Arkansas. His specialty was shooting non-performance photos, behind the scenes and between the acts. His love of black & white photography became even more evident, as he printed all of his own photos in limited quantities in his old-school wet darkroom. He loved teaching photo workshops to share his expertise. David was presented the “Keeping the Blues Alive” Award for photography in 1999 from The Blues Foundation.

In recent years, he volunteered as a driver for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program, which he considered to be critical for cancer patients. He and his wife traveled extensively - China, Morocco, Spain, Germany, Aruba, Africa and more.

David is survived by his wife Dr. Margaret Drugay, stepdaughters Jennifer Drugay Cook (Bernie) and Andrea Drugay (Dave Janusko), and grandchildren Lucy and Emmett Cook. His infectious smile, glittering blue-eyed glances, and humor will be missed by all who knew him. At his request, there will be no services, but a Celebration of his life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, www.afsp.org and The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/donate.