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Pilatus Porter Down

Carey,

Anne and I and everyone else at Spencer Aircraft want to pass on our condolences to you and to all of David's friends and family.

He was a very nice man, and we're all sad to hear of his passing. Some of the nicest people I've ever met I met here at work, and it is always terribly difficult to cope with one of them leaving us too soon.

Take care - we'll be thinking of David and you! Rest in peace, David - you'll be missed by many.
 
Condolences to family and friends - this gentleman appears to have made an active and positive contribution through aviation, and therefore a sad event. Until the accident report is in we really don't know the circumstances.
 
Condolences to David's family and friends from the Curtin family. Just realized this morning that i spoke to David a couple of times on a propeller. Sad to hear of the sudden loss.
Mike
 
Carey, just read about your friend. Very sorry you lost a good buddy. God bless.
 
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=david-mcrae&pid=182623204


[COLOR=#6C6C6C !important]Guest Book[/COLOR]

  • "David was such a kind, generous landlord and friend. My son..."- Edina Toole






photo_032821_1d0bded002934e349bbc179c7310_1_8e03b8520005aa873593acf4ac56_20161119.jpg
On Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, Alaska lost a treasured son, David McRae. Born on April 20, 1961, in Seattle, Wash., to Bristol Bay's Grace (Gardiner) McRae and fisherman/carpenter father Sam McRae, David grew up between homes in Seattle; Williams Lake, British Columbia; and summer fish camps in Ekuk and Naknek, Alaska. During his school years in Williams Lake, David lived with his father, an accomplished log home builder, who traveled extensively in his work. In the times his father was away, he became a beloved family member to the Durfeld and Vaughn families. David's love of flying started with Dr. Vaughn's collection of small planes. David's mother, Grace, was a long-tenured nurse at Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle, where she had a home often shared with David. Grace's mother, Lydia Gardiner of Aleknagik, Alaska, operated a salmon set net site and introduced David to the world of commercial fishing. Wanting more fishing experience, David worked with the Smith family of Aleknagik and quickly transitioned from deckhand to captain while fishing all districts in Bristol Bay. After finishing a degree at Western Washington University, he contemplated many careers and happily committed to none. In the decades that followed he became a commercial pilot, artist, carpenter, builder, collector, apartment manager, trader, entrepreneur, guide, traveler, while always falling back on aviation and fishing as his core work. From his earliest days, he was identified as a high achiever, athletic, well-liked and enthusiastic. His optimism, friendly interest, capabilities and available time made him a magnet for all manner of friends. He could always be counted on for an impromptu trip abroad, surfing in Hawaii, caribou hunting, motocross riding, fixing up an old truck, building a cabin, resurrecting a boat and finding just the right airplane or airplane part. David felt a special kinship with his aunt and uncle, Bella and Jay Hammond; their daughter, Heidi; and their grandchildren, Jay and Lauren. He spent many summers fishing with Heidi and her children at their Naknek River set net site. As Governor Hammond eased into retirement, David took on responsibility for supporting the Hammond's Lake Clark homestead, where Bella still resides. David was preceded in death by both his parents and older brother, Sam Jr. He also leaves behind constellations of friends in the Cariboo region of British Columbia; Seattle, where he was known as the "Mayor of Minor Avenue"; Anchorage, where he was a fixture in the aviation community; and Bristol Bay, where he had numerous fishing and flying colleagues, and cousins in the extended Gardiner family. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2016, at 6 p.m., at the Alaska Aviation Museum, 4721 Aircraft Drive in Anchorage, Alaska.

Published in Alaska Dispatch News on Nov. 19, 2016

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- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/obituary.aspx?n=david-mcrae&pid=182623204#sthash.udwFm0hz.dpuf
 
That's sobering.
It has been over two years and there's never been a day when David wasn't missed.
 
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