Charles R. David

Charles Richard David (Dick), age 88, passed away on April 29, at Alden Estates in Jefferson, WI. Dick was born on December 1, 1935, the son of Charles Raymond David and Alma Adell (Potticary) David. Dick was a graduate of Watertown High School, class of 1954, and served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963. He was a member of St. Henry congregation.

Dick worked for Rudy Raether construction after graduating from high school, Reidl fiberglass and for many years and Mastermold Hand Layup shop in Watertown. He was also self employed as a carpenter/home builder for a decade, building homes in the Watertown area. He built his iconic stone home, in the style of Helen and Scott Nearing, with his brother Gregory in the mid-seventies. His home was built of 350 tons of hand gathered fieldstone and from local trees from Leonard Hertel farm, sawn by a local sawyer Bill Schwefel, and assembled during a 3-year process.

He was an avid horseman, having won numerous ribbons and competitions with his American Saddle bred horse Lassa, and later used his team of Percherons to help his family cultivate fields, log trees, and give horse drawn garden tours on Gregory and Sandra’s CSA farm. Being an avid skier, he also used the horses to groom Nordic ski trails on the family farm. Dick competed in numerous Berkenbinders, a grueling 55k ski race in northern WI.

Dick was an avid paddler, competing nationally and internationally. He and his lifelong friend Roger Block competed nationally in both white water and flat-water canoe races. Those guys won many and finished in the top echelon of most, as testified to his numerous boxes of trophies and ribbons. And for much of his racing life, he actually built the canoes he raced in.

Dick was a lover of Nature and well known for his work in prairie restoration, conservation in general, and could often be found working around the farm or on his property caring for the life there.

He is proceeded in death by his parents Alma and Charlie and brother-in-law John Dickinson. He is survived by brothers Daniel and Gregory, sisters Patricia (Dickinson) and Mary Jo David (Thebo), nieces and nephews.

A service will be held at 1pm, Saturday June 22nd, at Schmutzler-Vick funeral Home, 500 Welsh Road in Watertown WI. Visitation is from 10am to 1pm at Schmutzler-Vick. Interment is Monday, June 24, 8:30am in St Henry Cemetery.

Many thanks to all those who helped care for Dick during his failing years, including family members, Joanie and Kevin, Karen, Cindy, all the good folks at Alden Estates and Rainbow Hospice, friends and relatives.