David French
Niceville - On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, David French passed away at his home in Niceville, Florida. David Wesley French was born in Honolulu at Queen's Hospital on November 17th, 1944. His father was a Jazz musician and his mother a dancer in the chorus line at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. Shortly after they were married they moved to Hawaii. In 1947, when their family friends, the Kyzer's, welcomed a new baby girl, David proceeded to drop her on her head. David grew up as a typical island kid, steeped in Hawaiian stories and legends; running, swimming, surfing, and eating fruit from the trees he climbed. He lived part of his childhood on Oahu and part of it on Kauai. David attended Kailua High School, where he learned to sing under the tutelage of the legendary Shigeru Hotoke eventually joining the world-famous Kailua Madrigals. Singing made him very happy and would become a lifetime avocation. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, sixteen-year-old David and his fellow cadets helped a Hungarian refugee refurbish army surplus gliders. Then they learned to fly. Flying made him very happy and would become his vocation. After high school, David enrolled in the University of Hawai'i where he joined the ROTC. He worked his way through college as a waiter and taxi driver in Honolulu. By his senior year, he had risen through the ranks to command his ROTC unit. In June of 1967, he graduated college, was commissioned into the United States Air Force, and married Nan Kyzer, in spite of their first meeting. They were very happy together for 53 years.
The Air Force brought David and Nan to the mainland where he learned to navigate the F-4D. While at George AFB, they welcomed their first child. Then, they were off to Misawa, Japan where their second child was born.
After a remote stint in Korea, the whole family moved to Hahn in West Germany. After Germany there was a tour in Las Vegas. The next tour would take him and his family to Lakenheath, England to fly in the F-111F, where he became proficient with laser guided bomb systems and electronic weapons. His final assignment was at Eglin AFB in Florida. In Niceville, David supported education on the Emerald Coast. As the voice of the Eagle Pride and a chaperone, David supported the development of Niceville High School's nationally recognized marching band. He and Nan travelled with the band to New Orleans, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Hawai'i over nearly two decades of service.
He also served as a judge for East Panhandle Science and Engineering Fair for many years. He continued singing wherever he went. In Germany, he joined a German choir that toured the Eastern Mediterranean including a performance for the Metropolitan of Constantinople. He sang in a community performance of South Pacific for the families of Hahn. He sang Handel's Messiah many times with many different choirs in many different countries. David sang in many choral groups in the Niceville area. He was a member of the Chancel choir at Shalimar United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the barbershop quartet – Gloryland. He performed with the Okaloosa Chamber Singers and the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale, most recently performing Mozart's Requiem. He sang in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in the car. He was very happy when he was singing, and he made everyone else happy with his songs.
He is survived by his wife, Nan, their children Matt (Mellissa) and Felicia(Brett LaRue), and five grandchildren (Zane and Katherine French and Nathaniel, Noah, and Nevin LaRue). His family always made him very happy.
He will take one more flight to his final home in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Niceville - On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, David French passed away at his home in Niceville, Florida. David Wesley French was born in Honolulu at Queen's Hospital on November 17th, 1944. His father was a Jazz musician and his mother a dancer in the chorus line at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. Shortly after they were married they moved to Hawaii. In 1947, when their family friends, the Kyzer's, welcomed a new baby girl, David proceeded to drop her on her head. David grew up as a typical island kid, steeped in Hawaiian stories and legends; running, swimming, surfing, and eating fruit from the trees he climbed. He lived part of his childhood on Oahu and part of it on Kauai. David attended Kailua High School, where he learned to sing under the tutelage of the legendary Shigeru Hotoke eventually joining the world-famous Kailua Madrigals. Singing made him very happy and would become a lifetime avocation. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, sixteen-year-old David and his fellow cadets helped a Hungarian refugee refurbish army surplus gliders. Then they learned to fly. Flying made him very happy and would become his vocation. After high school, David enrolled in the University of Hawai'i where he joined the ROTC. He worked his way through college as a waiter and taxi driver in Honolulu. By his senior year, he had risen through the ranks to command his ROTC unit. In June of 1967, he graduated college, was commissioned into the United States Air Force, and married Nan Kyzer, in spite of their first meeting. They were very happy together for 53 years.
The Air Force brought David and Nan to the mainland where he learned to navigate the F-4D. While at George AFB, they welcomed their first child. Then, they were off to Misawa, Japan where their second child was born.
After a remote stint in Korea, the whole family moved to Hahn in West Germany. After Germany there was a tour in Las Vegas. The next tour would take him and his family to Lakenheath, England to fly in the F-111F, where he became proficient with laser guided bomb systems and electronic weapons. His final assignment was at Eglin AFB in Florida. In Niceville, David supported education on the Emerald Coast. As the voice of the Eagle Pride and a chaperone, David supported the development of Niceville High School's nationally recognized marching band. He and Nan travelled with the band to New Orleans, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Hawai'i over nearly two decades of service.
He also served as a judge for East Panhandle Science and Engineering Fair for many years. He continued singing wherever he went. In Germany, he joined a German choir that toured the Eastern Mediterranean including a performance for the Metropolitan of Constantinople. He sang in a community performance of South Pacific for the families of Hahn. He sang Handel's Messiah many times with many different choirs in many different countries. David sang in many choral groups in the Niceville area. He was a member of the Chancel choir at Shalimar United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the barbershop quartet – Gloryland. He performed with the Okaloosa Chamber Singers and the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale, most recently performing Mozart's Requiem. He sang in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in the car. He was very happy when he was singing, and he made everyone else happy with his songs.
He is survived by his wife, Nan, their children Matt (Mellissa) and Felicia(Brett LaRue), and five grandchildren (Zane and Katherine French and Nathaniel, Noah, and Nevin LaRue). His family always made him very happy.
He will take one more flight to his final home in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
David French
Niceville - On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, David French passed away at his home in Niceville, Florida. David Wesley French was born in Honolulu at Queen's Hospital on November 17th, 1944. His father was a Jazz musician and his mother a dancer in the chorus line at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. Shortly after they were married they moved to Hawaii. In 1947, when their family friends, the Kyzer's, welcomed a new baby girl, David proceeded to drop her on her head. David grew up as a typical island kid, steeped in Hawaiian stories and legends; running, swimming, surfing, and eating fruit from the trees he climbed. He lived part of his childhood on Oahu and part of it on Kauai. David attended Kailua High School, where he learned to sing under the tutelage of the legendary Shigeru Hotoke eventually joining the world-famous Kailua Madrigals. Singing made him very happy and would become a lifetime avocation. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, sixteen-year-old David and his fellow cadets helped a Hungarian refugee refurbish army surplus gliders. Then they learned to fly. Flying made him very happy and would become his vocation. After high school, David enrolled in the University of Hawai'i where he joined the ROTC. He worked his way through college as a waiter and taxi driver in Honolulu. By his senior year, he had risen through the ranks to command his ROTC unit. In June of 1967, he graduated college, was commissioned into the United States Air Force, and married Nan Kyzer, in spite of their first meeting. They were very happy together for 53 years.
The Air Force brought David and Nan to the mainland where he learned to navigate the F-4D. While at George AFB, they welcomed their first child. Then, they were off to Misawa, Japan where their second child was born.
After a remote stint in Korea, the whole family moved to Hahn in West Germany. After Germany there was a tour in Las Vegas. The next tour would take him and his family to Lakenheath, England to fly in the F-111F, where he became proficient with laser guided bomb systems and electronic weapons. His final assignment was at Eglin AFB in Florida. In Niceville, David supported education on the Emerald Coast. As the voice of the Eagle Pride and a chaperone, David supported the development of Niceville High School's nationally recognized marching band. He and Nan travelled with the band to New Orleans, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Hawai'i over nearly two decades of service.
He also served as a judge for East Panhandle Science and Engineering Fair for many years. He continued singing wherever he went. In Germany, he joined a German choir that toured the Eastern Mediterranean including a performance for the Metropolitan of Constantinople. He sang in a community performance of South Pacific for the families of Hahn. He sang Handel's Messiah many times with many different choirs in many different countries. David sang in many choral groups in the Niceville area. He was a member of the Chancel choir at Shalimar United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the barbershop quartet – Gloryland. He performed with the Okaloosa Chamber Singers and the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale, most recently performing Mozart's Requiem. He sang in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in the car. He was very happy when he was singing, and he made everyone else happy with his songs.
He is survived by his wife, Nan, their children Matt (Mellissa) and Felicia(Brett LaRue), and five grandchildren (Zane and Katherine French and Nathaniel, Noah, and Nevin LaRue). His family always made him very happy.
He will take one more flight to his final home in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Niceville - On Tuesday, September 29, 2020, David French passed away at his home in Niceville, Florida. David Wesley French was born in Honolulu at Queen's Hospital on November 17th, 1944. His father was a Jazz musician and his mother a dancer in the chorus line at the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. Shortly after they were married they moved to Hawaii. In 1947, when their family friends, the Kyzer's, welcomed a new baby girl, David proceeded to drop her on her head. David grew up as a typical island kid, steeped in Hawaiian stories and legends; running, swimming, surfing, and eating fruit from the trees he climbed. He lived part of his childhood on Oahu and part of it on Kauai. David attended Kailua High School, where he learned to sing under the tutelage of the legendary Shigeru Hotoke eventually joining the world-famous Kailua Madrigals. Singing made him very happy and would become a lifetime avocation. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, sixteen-year-old David and his fellow cadets helped a Hungarian refugee refurbish army surplus gliders. Then they learned to fly. Flying made him very happy and would become his vocation. After high school, David enrolled in the University of Hawai'i where he joined the ROTC. He worked his way through college as a waiter and taxi driver in Honolulu. By his senior year, he had risen through the ranks to command his ROTC unit. In June of 1967, he graduated college, was commissioned into the United States Air Force, and married Nan Kyzer, in spite of their first meeting. They were very happy together for 53 years.
The Air Force brought David and Nan to the mainland where he learned to navigate the F-4D. While at George AFB, they welcomed their first child. Then, they were off to Misawa, Japan where their second child was born.
After a remote stint in Korea, the whole family moved to Hahn in West Germany. After Germany there was a tour in Las Vegas. The next tour would take him and his family to Lakenheath, England to fly in the F-111F, where he became proficient with laser guided bomb systems and electronic weapons. His final assignment was at Eglin AFB in Florida. In Niceville, David supported education on the Emerald Coast. As the voice of the Eagle Pride and a chaperone, David supported the development of Niceville High School's nationally recognized marching band. He and Nan travelled with the band to New Orleans, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Hawai'i over nearly two decades of service.
He also served as a judge for East Panhandle Science and Engineering Fair for many years. He continued singing wherever he went. In Germany, he joined a German choir that toured the Eastern Mediterranean including a performance for the Metropolitan of Constantinople. He sang in a community performance of South Pacific for the families of Hahn. He sang Handel's Messiah many times with many different choirs in many different countries. David sang in many choral groups in the Niceville area. He was a member of the Chancel choir at Shalimar United Methodist Church. He was also a member of the barbershop quartet – Gloryland. He performed with the Okaloosa Chamber Singers and the Northwest Florida Symphony Chorale, most recently performing Mozart's Requiem. He sang in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in the car. He was very happy when he was singing, and he made everyone else happy with his songs.
He is survived by his wife, Nan, their children Matt (Mellissa) and Felicia(Brett LaRue), and five grandchildren (Zane and Katherine French and Nathaniel, Noah, and Nevin LaRue). His family always made him very happy.
He will take one more flight to his final home in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
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VIETNAM PERSIAN GULF
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