Remembering David Relyea

On Monday David Relyea (pictured left at the Pontiac Lake Cleanup last fall), of Mountain Grove, was killed in a plane crash south of Ava. Dave and his wife, LouDonna, are long-time customers and friends of Pontiac Cove Marina. I looked back at some old records today and found that they have been stall customers at least since 1985, if not earlier than that. So you probably know his face, and you've surely heard his voice come across your marine radio on behalf of the Goldfire, the sailboat they keep at the boat dock.

The best way I know to describe Dave is as an always cheerful, fun-loving world traveler who truly lived his life to the fullest. And he was a great storyteller. Among many other things, he really loved Bull Shoals Lake. He enjoyed flying, and anytime he was in the area he liked to "buzz" the boat dock. In fact, I had been meaning to ask him to take a new aerial photo of the marina. The one we have is so old, it doesn't even show the new dock... I never got the chance.

Based on what was reported on KY3 (click here) and what I have heard from other people, Dave and a friend were on their way back from lunch at Gaston's on Monday when the plane crashed into a ravine in a heavily wooded area south of Ava. The passenger was able to walk away from the accident and call for help. Details about the cause of the crash are unknown at this time.

David is survived by his wife, LouDonna, a daughter, Heather, and a granddaughter, Savannah. And many, many friends. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Mountain Grove YMCA. Call 417-926-6737 for directions. Also, the family has requested that any donations should be made to the Mountain Grove YMCA.

In other sad news... Judy Kirgan, a Pontiac resident and long-time customer of Pontiac Cove Marina, died on Monday at the Baxter County Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at Clinkingbeard's Funeral Home in Gainesville. A dinner at the Pontiac firehouse will follow.

And finally, I'd also like to mention we lost another dear friend and boat dock customer last month, Helen Beard. Helen and her husband, Ron, have lived in Pontiac for many years. Helen is the sister of Pontiac resident Chris Geroff.

Our condolences to the families and friends of David, Judy and Helen.