David Linder - Thanks for the Memories

From the Mojave Daily News

     David Kelly Linder, age 63, a 25-year resident of Bullhead City, Arizona, died Monday, October 7, 2013, at Kingman Regional Medical Center. ~David had a stroke in October, 2010. For the first year after the stroke it seemed that he would bounce back, but then started a slow, steady decline. He was born July 31, 1950, in Des Moines, Iowa.

     His family moved to California in 1959, and he became an enthusiastic and proficient body surfer, and taught himself how to play the flute. He graduated from Santa Ana High in 1968 and joined the Navy, serving our country on a nuclear submarine as an electrician.

He was always smiling, a friend to all, extremely intelligent,

a natural at mathematics and knew all the answers on

Jeopardy faster than any contestant.

      After his honorable discharge from the Navy, David got his bachelor's degree at Cal State Fullerton, and worked as an accountant in his father's CPA business. He "retired" from the CPA business after the death of his father and moved to Bullhead City in 1988. David found work in the construction industry and would frequently stop at the Sunshine Marina, not only for a "cool one" after work, but also for a dip in the river, which he loved. Due to the construction slowdown, his last job was as a bartender/guy Friday at the Wonder Bar.

       He is survived by his sister, Terry Sanders; nieces, Brooke Sanders and Katelyn Watson; nephew, Joshua Watson, all in California; and his good buddies, Regina Kish and her grandson, Aaron Evans in Bullhead City.

     David was a good friend of mine in high school, we had some great times. One of the last times I saw him in the last century was around 1972, I don't really recall the year but I'll never forget the day. We talked about the old times and drank ourselves some beers at the Boat House on Main Street in Santa Ana. David was driving his brother-in-law's Hudson Hornet and we got T-boned on Myrtle by the tracks of the old sugar beet train. The last time I saw David was shortly after our 2013 re-union, at the rest home in Kingman where he spent his last years. David was always quick with a joke and an aside. One he used often was borrowed from W.C. Fields, "Ah yes, I knew him well, we went to different schools together."
     People who knew David liked him, from those who he went to school with, to those he worked with and, you could tell, those who he spent his last few years with in Kingman... Jerry