Born in Boston and raised in Wellesley, MA, he was a 1955 graduate of Wellesley High School and a 1959 graduate of Syracuse University. He earned degrees in Journalism and English and was a proud member of Lambda Chi Fraternity. After graduation from Syracuse, Dave completed the U.S. Naval Officers Candidate School in Newport, RI and served as an officer on the USS Boston for three years, receiving his honorable discharge in 1963 as a Lieutenant Junior Grade and Main Battery Officer.
From 1963 – 1967, he was a journalist with the Democrat & Chronicle newspaper in Rochester, NY which included two years traveling with the Rochester Red Wings as a baseball writer. While in Rochester, he also met and married Linda Grace Walker of New Hartford, NY. In 1967 he joined Westinghouse Electric as an organizational communication professional. Over the course of 18 years he moved up through a variety of roles at Westinghouse in Cheswick, PA, East Pittsburgh, PA, Buffalo, NY and finally, back to Pittsburgh at their Headquarters location, advancing to Corporate Director of Internal Communications for the global, 125,000-employee company.
In 1985, Dave turned to consulting, moving to Morris Plains, NJ with offices in New York City. For the next 18 years he served in regional and national practice leader roles with William M. Mercer-Meidinger, Alexander & Alexander Consulting, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, and finally, with his own firm, Freeland Communications. Among his many clients were GE, GM, IBM, Merck, Nabisco, Levi Strauss, Lockheed Martin, 3M, AT&T and Xerox. He authored the book, ‘Effective Communications, ’ and served as President and longtime active member of the Council of Communication Management.
Dave was an avid birdwatcher his entire life, serving as President of the Buffalo Ornithological Society and two different chapters of the National Audubon Society. He was editor of a booklet, ‘Where to Find Birds in Western Pennsylvania,’ and was a Director of the Florida Ornithological Society, the state to which he retired in 2003.
Dave was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend. He was an avid traveler, touching every continent at least once as well as all 50 states in the U.S. He will be remembered by all as a smart, humorous, sports enthusiast. Dave is survived by his wife Linda of 48 years, son Jay, daughter-in-law Donna, grandsons Joel David and Evan John, nephews Andrew, Doug and Robert, and nieces Janet, Kim and Lynne.
Services will be held on Saturday, February 22. Visiting hours will be held from 3:00-4:00PM followed by a short service at the Wylie-Baxley Funeral Home, 1360 North Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, FL 32953. Interment will follow immediately after at Georgiana Cemetery, Crooked Mile Road, Merritt Island, FL 32952. A celebration of Dave’s life will be held at the home of his son and daughter-in-law on Merritt Island at the conclusion of the graveside ceremony. All family and friends are invited to join.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Merritt Island Wildlife Association, PO Box 2683, Titusville, FL 32781.
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