Obituary of David Alan Blackwell

David Alan Blackwell of Red Deer, AB passed away peacefully with family at his side holding his hand at the Foothills Hospital, Calgary AB on July 7, 2024 at the age of 48 yrs.

Born and raised in Red Deer, AB, David led a full life on his own terms. He was the youngest son in a family of 5 children with an 18-year spread in age. As part of a larger family, he learned to view the world with a broad lens, then added his own unique perspective, natural inquisitiveness & intelligence into the mix. He challenged others to ‘think differently’ with well thought-out, deep and sometimes surprising out-of-the-blue questions or insights about life.

He was quite athletic in his early life, excelling in the Canada fitness test plus playing soccer and participating in other activities including cross country skiing. He was seen as a ‘real trooper’ in his youth, always willing to try new activities, even when things were well out of his comfort zone. An example was when a sibling found a bike & helmet for him and took ‘rookie David’ out on a mountain-bike campout trip with a group of very intense competitive athletes. Later in his life, David took up both yoga and Tai Chi. He definitely made an impression on his teachers with his idiosyncratic approach and his keen & directed comments or questions.

David found his calling, though, as a natural at golf. He originally learned to play at the by-donation ‘Pitch & Putt’ in Great Chief Park before graduating to larger community golf courses. Family trips were extra-special to him if they included side visits to a new golf course such as the one at Kananaskis. On birthday golf outings, he was known to pay back whoever took him out by completely schooling them with his much better score.

He was an avid reader and self-educated in so many subjects. He was a ‘frequent flyer’ at Red Deer Public Library and owned a large library of books at home. He is much remembered by nieces and nephews for taking the time to read to them from his own favorite childhood books such as Curious George. He loved most anything that required logical thinking such as board games, but was also known to default to his giving & non-competitive nature by letting younger generations ‘cheat & win’ at games like Monopoly without calling them out.

David continuously pursued higher education and lifelong learning, often just taking courses out of curiosity and for their own sake. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Athabasca University and a Certificate in Management from Red Deer College amongst other credentials. He worked as an Accounting Assistant at various places and also enjoyed jobs with the Red Deer Advocate & Red Deer Express.

David was an accomplished musician, earning his Royal Conservatory Grade 7 in piano. His piano teacher was extra impressed by how willingly and diligently he would take on difficult pieces by Bach. He played at seniors’ residences, for ballet schools and at St. Luke’s Anglican Church in Red Deer.

David liked to keep life simple. Although he was no stranger to camping, trips & travel abroad with family, he preferred to live his life privately, quietly, and without fanfare mostly in his local community. He lived independently in his own small mobile home and could often be seen walking, cycling, or taking the bus to his favorite haunts. He loved sharing his life and home with dogs, including his first dog Pablo and later the long-lived rescue dog, Cody.

David very much enjoyed good food and was well known at his church for rarely missing a men’s breakfast. He loved attending family meals and BBQs, but was famously known to exit early from noisy group gatherings. You could almost set your watch by what must have been his internal clock set to the ‘1 hour of socializing only’ rule.

Although he had very little material wealth, he was wonderfully generous in sharing what he had. With an encyclopedic mind & memory for dates, he was always the person who remembered your birthday, anniversary, or special date, even when everyone else forgot. He would also be sure to give you a small gift such as a lottery ticket, often picking out the complicated scratch & win tickets that required you to give the ticket back for him to figure out if you won. If a stranger asked for money or food, he would give without a second thought, even if it meant coming up short himself. He would tip his favorite servers quite generously.

David was a gentle, thoughtful, kind, curious and deeply inquisitive soul. He touched many hearts in the community with his quirky and unique personality. He considered himself a devout follower of God and dared to ask himself and others the big questions about life. He was much cared for and supported by the community of St Luke’s Anglican Church and the broader Red Deer community. He was also much loved by a large family and extended family.

David suffered a sudden & unexpected illness in early April. He fought bravely for 13 plus weeks in the I.C.U. at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre and then Foothills Hospital, inspiring so many with his strong will to live, his quiet resilience, his unassuming nature, and his deep faith. Although his body ultimately succumbed, he left this world knowing he was very much loved.

David will be lovingly remembered by his father Donald Blackwell; brothers: Tim (Kelly) Blackwell and Rob (Melanie) Blackwell; sisters: Terry Ann (Alfredo) Calderon and Suzanne Blackwell (Wayne); nieces Jessica (Brad), Rachel, Hannah, Trisha; nephews Andrew, Brian (Kaitlyn), Brandon; and by his grand-nephew Chase.

A dual Memorial Service will be held for David and his Mom, Lois at St Luke’s Anglican Church, 4929 – 54 Street, Red Deer AB (Ven. Noel Wygiera presiding) on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 3:00 pm. A casual sharing of memories will follow.

With so much gratitude for the infinite support of so many, the family asks that In lieu of flowers, you consider “giving back” as David would have done. Memorial donations may be directed to:

St Luke’s Anglican Church at https://www.oldchurchrd.com/

Red Deer Regional Hospital Foundation at https://www.rdrhfoundation.com/

or to an animal rescue organization of your choice.

Condolences to David’s family, or better yet the sharing of your favorite stories, may be emailed to meaningful@telus.net. Please indicate “David Blackwell” in the subject line.