David SCANLEN Obituary

My condolences to the family. I am truly sorry I missed the funeral as I did not find out about Dave's passing until much later as I don't get papers. I first met David around 1976 when I was halfway through my apprenticeship as a truck mechanic at Waikato Motors, Later Ebbetts Truckshop when David was the workshop forman. He was very knowledgeable mechanic which helped me many times when I needed advice. He came to my 21st birthday which he brought me a 3/8" metric socket set as a 21st gift which I still have today. I had kept in touch over the years, the last time was not long after he and his wife Heather moved into Eventide rest home. Once again I'm truly sorry I missed the Service for David. RIP my old friend I will visit you at Tuakua cemetery soon.

David was a wonderful father in law. We spent hours fishing on his boat at Te Rangiita.

David has been a figure in my life from my early years - from holidays on the farm at Otorohonga and by the lake at Te Rangiita, to visits to their homes in Hamilton and Tamahere David has always been welcoming and interested in what we were up to. Mike and I especially valued David and Heather's visit to our farm at Redhill, Dargaville in later years. And with a shared interest in family genealogy there was always something to catch up on! David was a special, giving man who will be missed, and a great friend and cousin of our dad Basil Scanlen.

David was the Scanlen family historian and his work with Heather on compiling the lives of our forebears is legendary. At his 80th birthday party with family he presented bound copies of "Scanlen Family 2009" booklets to us all. I'm indebted to all this information and enjoyed the time we spent talking and emailing. Rest in Peace.