Blog 3133 – 05.29.2024

Happy Birthday, David

Forty-five years ago I met a ten year old boy named David Jerome Heyen. He was a very charismatic lad working in the bus ministry of a church that I had attended years earlier and had returned from my home state of Tennessee to hopefully work in that bus ministry again. Little did I know that barely more than a year later that I would marry David’s mom and that he and his little brother Ben would become my sons and that we three together would welcome their little sister Emily into the world. Emily’s life would be shorter than her brother David’s, just a few days more than thirty two years.

David had not only a winning personality, but a lot of drive. In his relatively brief life of forty-seven years he was a bus pastor, a Marine, a policeman, and a chef. David fathered five wonderful children, three handsome sons and two beautiful daughters (Jacob, Kristina, David, Hannah and Caleb, left to right, with their dad and beautiful mom, Anna, in the top row, above.)

On this day, May 29th, David’s birthday, I write these few words to honor his memory. How very much those of us who knew and loved you miss his smile and winning ways. Thank you, Son, for all those precious memories. You live on in your children’s hearts and all those you touched.

Your friend, fellow traveler, and for a little while,

David’s dad,

David White