Name: David Estes
Age: 86
Residents of: Plymouth, MA & Stuart, FL
Military: US Army - Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C.
Founder of: Cape's Landfall Restaurant
Magical summers spent vacationing and working as a "summer kid" on Cape Cod in the 1930s led Indiana native David Estes to dream of opening a business there one day.
"He loved Cape Cod. When he was in high school and college, he worked in the hotels down here and he caught the bug," said his son James of Falmouth.
After serving in World War II, Mr. Estes opened a tiny restaurant in 1946 in Woods Hole. He called his place The Landfall and lived upstairs. He had no liquor license but plenty of lobsters.
Over the next four decades, Mr. Estes transformed the place from a 25-seat cafe into a premiere spot for traditional Cape cuisine with a spectacular view of the ferries. He handed over the reins to sons James and Donald in 1988, and The Landfall now seats 180 diners and employs 75 people.
Mr. Estes died of heart failure on Aug. 11 at his home in Falmouth. He was 86.
Born in Indianapolis, Mr. Estes and his three brothers grew up spending summers in the Davisville and Menauhant sections of Falmouth with their parents, Lewis and Elvira (Tucker). Lewis worked in the steel industry.
Mr. Estes later earned his undergraduate degree in hotel management at Cornell University.
He was a senior when World War II broke out. While in the Army, he worked with the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C., and completed his final OSS assignment in Germany as staff for Robert H. Jackson, chief US prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and a Supreme Court justice.
After the war, Mr. Estes began hunting for a property on the Cape. He was in Woods Hole to catch a ferry to Martha's Vineyard when he spotted a little waterfront house for sale. He bought the space for $10,000 and opened his summer restaurant.
In 1950, he took advantage of his last chance at additional education under the GI bill and went to study creative writing at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.
He met his wife, Virginia (Apgar) of Elgin, IL, at the college, where she was studying business. They were married 57 years.
"I probably first noticed him because he had this Great Dane," Virginia said. "It was like a little pony and it was his pet. His name was Rummy."
After they married, the couple and the dog drove to Mexico so Mr. Estes could work on his writing during the winter. "We had a station wagon, and the dog would lean over my shoulder and drool all over me," Virginia recalled.
Mr. Estes published several of his works in the 1950s, including a story in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1955 about a reunion of two old flames titled "There Was a Man."
His writing career soon took a backseat to the restaurant, where he worked from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day during the summer season.
In 1954, Mr. Estes and his wife were alone working in the restaurant when Hurricane Carol hit.
"He was getting some things out from behind the bar when suddenly the floor lifted up and I couldn't see him anymore," Virginia said. "The water just lifted it right up."
The pounding surf sent the couple running for their car as the hurricane destroyed The Landfall, she said. Mr. Estes rebuilt The Landfall and weathered Hurricane Donna six years later.
Mr. Estes was active in town government and civic affairs on the Cape. He was a Town Meeting member for 33 years and served on the School Committee for six years in the 1960s.
He was director of Falmouth National Bank and was a trustee of Falmouth Hospital. He also served as a trustee of Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable.
In 1967 when Falmouth Youth Hockey began, Mr. Estes was the league's first president. He wrote the bylaws and helped create the league's structure. He also helped the league negotiate ownership of Falmouth Ice Arena.
"He was very proud of that," his son said.
Mr. Estes loved golf. He was on the board of directors of the Bay State Seniors Golf Association and had been a member of the New England Golf Association, the American Golf Association, and The Southern Golf Association.
In recent years, he and his wife spent their winters in Stuart, FL, where Mr. Estes was a member of Mariner Sands Country Club and served on the club's board of directors.
SURVIVORS:
Wife: Virginia
Sons: Steven, William, Donald & James
8 grandchildren
FamilySearch™ U.S. Social Security Death Index
--------------------------------------------
David ESTES
Birth Date: 27 Feb 1922
Death Date: 11 Aug 2008
Social Security Number: 016-16-7474
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Massachusetts
Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 34997
Localities: Stuart, Martin, Florida
Age: 86
Residents of: Plymouth, MA & Stuart, FL
Military: US Army - Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C.
Founder of: Cape's Landfall Restaurant
Magical summers spent vacationing and working as a "summer kid" on Cape Cod in the 1930s led Indiana native David Estes to dream of opening a business there one day.
"He loved Cape Cod. When he was in high school and college, he worked in the hotels down here and he caught the bug," said his son James of Falmouth.
After serving in World War II, Mr. Estes opened a tiny restaurant in 1946 in Woods Hole. He called his place The Landfall and lived upstairs. He had no liquor license but plenty of lobsters.
Over the next four decades, Mr. Estes transformed the place from a 25-seat cafe into a premiere spot for traditional Cape cuisine with a spectacular view of the ferries. He handed over the reins to sons James and Donald in 1988, and The Landfall now seats 180 diners and employs 75 people.
Mr. Estes died of heart failure on Aug. 11 at his home in Falmouth. He was 86.
Born in Indianapolis, Mr. Estes and his three brothers grew up spending summers in the Davisville and Menauhant sections of Falmouth with their parents, Lewis and Elvira (Tucker). Lewis worked in the steel industry.
Mr. Estes later earned his undergraduate degree in hotel management at Cornell University.
He was a senior when World War II broke out. While in the Army, he worked with the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C., and completed his final OSS assignment in Germany as staff for Robert H. Jackson, chief US prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and a Supreme Court justice.
After the war, Mr. Estes began hunting for a property on the Cape. He was in Woods Hole to catch a ferry to Martha's Vineyard when he spotted a little waterfront house for sale. He bought the space for $10,000 and opened his summer restaurant.
In 1950, he took advantage of his last chance at additional education under the GI bill and went to study creative writing at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.
He met his wife, Virginia (Apgar) of Elgin, IL, at the college, where she was studying business. They were married 57 years.
"I probably first noticed him because he had this Great Dane," Virginia said. "It was like a little pony and it was his pet. His name was Rummy."
After they married, the couple and the dog drove to Mexico so Mr. Estes could work on his writing during the winter. "We had a station wagon, and the dog would lean over my shoulder and drool all over me," Virginia recalled.
Mr. Estes published several of his works in the 1950s, including a story in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1955 about a reunion of two old flames titled "There Was a Man."
His writing career soon took a backseat to the restaurant, where he worked from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day during the summer season.
In 1954, Mr. Estes and his wife were alone working in the restaurant when Hurricane Carol hit.
"He was getting some things out from behind the bar when suddenly the floor lifted up and I couldn't see him anymore," Virginia said. "The water just lifted it right up."
The pounding surf sent the couple running for their car as the hurricane destroyed The Landfall, she said. Mr. Estes rebuilt The Landfall and weathered Hurricane Donna six years later.
Mr. Estes was active in town government and civic affairs on the Cape. He was a Town Meeting member for 33 years and served on the School Committee for six years in the 1960s.
He was director of Falmouth National Bank and was a trustee of Falmouth Hospital. He also served as a trustee of Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable.
In 1967 when Falmouth Youth Hockey began, Mr. Estes was the league's first president. He wrote the bylaws and helped create the league's structure. He also helped the league negotiate ownership of Falmouth Ice Arena.
"He was very proud of that," his son said.
Mr. Estes loved golf. He was on the board of directors of the Bay State Seniors Golf Association and had been a member of the New England Golf Association, the American Golf Association, and The Southern Golf Association.
In recent years, he and his wife spent their winters in Stuart, FL, where Mr. Estes was a member of Mariner Sands Country Club and served on the club's board of directors.
SURVIVORS:
Wife: Virginia
Sons: Steven, William, Donald & James
8 grandchildren
FamilySearch™ U.S. Social Security Death Index
--------------------------------------------
David ESTES
Birth Date: 27 Feb 1922
Death Date: 11 Aug 2008
Social Security Number: 016-16-7474
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Massachusetts
Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 34997
Localities: Stuart, Martin, Florida
Name: David Estes
Age: 86
Residents of: Plymouth, MA & Stuart, FL
Military: US Army - Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C.
Founder of: Cape's Landfall Restaurant
Magical summers spent vacationing and working as a "summer kid" on Cape Cod in the 1930s led Indiana native David Estes to dream of opening a business there one day.
"He loved Cape Cod. When he was in high school and college, he worked in the hotels down here and he caught the bug," said his son James of Falmouth.
After serving in World War II, Mr. Estes opened a tiny restaurant in 1946 in Woods Hole. He called his place The Landfall and lived upstairs. He had no liquor license but plenty of lobsters.
Over the next four decades, Mr. Estes transformed the place from a 25-seat cafe into a premiere spot for traditional Cape cuisine with a spectacular view of the ferries. He handed over the reins to sons James and Donald in 1988, and The Landfall now seats 180 diners and employs 75 people.
Mr. Estes died of heart failure on Aug. 11 at his home in Falmouth. He was 86.
Born in Indianapolis, Mr. Estes and his three brothers grew up spending summers in the Davisville and Menauhant sections of Falmouth with their parents, Lewis and Elvira (Tucker). Lewis worked in the steel industry.
Mr. Estes later earned his undergraduate degree in hotel management at Cornell University.
He was a senior when World War II broke out. While in the Army, he worked with the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C., and completed his final OSS assignment in Germany as staff for Robert H. Jackson, chief US prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and a Supreme Court justice.
After the war, Mr. Estes began hunting for a property on the Cape. He was in Woods Hole to catch a ferry to Martha's Vineyard when he spotted a little waterfront house for sale. He bought the space for $10,000 and opened his summer restaurant.
In 1950, he took advantage of his last chance at additional education under the GI bill and went to study creative writing at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.
He met his wife, Virginia (Apgar) of Elgin, IL, at the college, where she was studying business. They were married 57 years.
"I probably first noticed him because he had this Great Dane," Virginia said. "It was like a little pony and it was his pet. His name was Rummy."
After they married, the couple and the dog drove to Mexico so Mr. Estes could work on his writing during the winter. "We had a station wagon, and the dog would lean over my shoulder and drool all over me," Virginia recalled.
Mr. Estes published several of his works in the 1950s, including a story in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1955 about a reunion of two old flames titled "There Was a Man."
His writing career soon took a backseat to the restaurant, where he worked from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day during the summer season.
In 1954, Mr. Estes and his wife were alone working in the restaurant when Hurricane Carol hit.
"He was getting some things out from behind the bar when suddenly the floor lifted up and I couldn't see him anymore," Virginia said. "The water just lifted it right up."
The pounding surf sent the couple running for their car as the hurricane destroyed The Landfall, she said. Mr. Estes rebuilt The Landfall and weathered Hurricane Donna six years later.
Mr. Estes was active in town government and civic affairs on the Cape. He was a Town Meeting member for 33 years and served on the School Committee for six years in the 1960s.
He was director of Falmouth National Bank and was a trustee of Falmouth Hospital. He also served as a trustee of Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable.
In 1967 when Falmouth Youth Hockey began, Mr. Estes was the league's first president. He wrote the bylaws and helped create the league's structure. He also helped the league negotiate ownership of Falmouth Ice Arena.
"He was very proud of that," his son said.
Mr. Estes loved golf. He was on the board of directors of the Bay State Seniors Golf Association and had been a member of the New England Golf Association, the American Golf Association, and The Southern Golf Association.
In recent years, he and his wife spent their winters in Stuart, FL, where Mr. Estes was a member of Mariner Sands Country Club and served on the club's board of directors.
SURVIVORS:
Wife: Virginia
Sons: Steven, William, Donald & James
8 grandchildren
FamilySearch™ U.S. Social Security Death Index
--------------------------------------------
David ESTES
Birth Date: 27 Feb 1922
Death Date: 11 Aug 2008
Social Security Number: 016-16-7474
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Massachusetts
Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 34997
Localities: Stuart, Martin, Florida
Age: 86
Residents of: Plymouth, MA & Stuart, FL
Military: US Army - Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C.
Founder of: Cape's Landfall Restaurant
Magical summers spent vacationing and working as a "summer kid" on Cape Cod in the 1930s led Indiana native David Estes to dream of opening a business there one day.
"He loved Cape Cod. When he was in high school and college, he worked in the hotels down here and he caught the bug," said his son James of Falmouth.
After serving in World War II, Mr. Estes opened a tiny restaurant in 1946 in Woods Hole. He called his place The Landfall and lived upstairs. He had no liquor license but plenty of lobsters.
Over the next four decades, Mr. Estes transformed the place from a 25-seat cafe into a premiere spot for traditional Cape cuisine with a spectacular view of the ferries. He handed over the reins to sons James and Donald in 1988, and The Landfall now seats 180 diners and employs 75 people.
Mr. Estes died of heart failure on Aug. 11 at his home in Falmouth. He was 86.
Born in Indianapolis, Mr. Estes and his three brothers grew up spending summers in the Davisville and Menauhant sections of Falmouth with their parents, Lewis and Elvira (Tucker). Lewis worked in the steel industry.
Mr. Estes later earned his undergraduate degree in hotel management at Cornell University.
He was a senior when World War II broke out. While in the Army, he worked with the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C., and completed his final OSS assignment in Germany as staff for Robert H. Jackson, chief US prosecutor of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg and a Supreme Court justice.
After the war, Mr. Estes began hunting for a property on the Cape. He was in Woods Hole to catch a ferry to Martha's Vineyard when he spotted a little waterfront house for sale. He bought the space for $10,000 and opened his summer restaurant.
In 1950, he took advantage of his last chance at additional education under the GI bill and went to study creative writing at Rollins College in Winter Park, FL.
He met his wife, Virginia (Apgar) of Elgin, IL, at the college, where she was studying business. They were married 57 years.
"I probably first noticed him because he had this Great Dane," Virginia said. "It was like a little pony and it was his pet. His name was Rummy."
After they married, the couple and the dog drove to Mexico so Mr. Estes could work on his writing during the winter. "We had a station wagon, and the dog would lean over my shoulder and drool all over me," Virginia recalled.
Mr. Estes published several of his works in the 1950s, including a story in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1955 about a reunion of two old flames titled "There Was a Man."
His writing career soon took a backseat to the restaurant, where he worked from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day during the summer season.
In 1954, Mr. Estes and his wife were alone working in the restaurant when Hurricane Carol hit.
"He was getting some things out from behind the bar when suddenly the floor lifted up and I couldn't see him anymore," Virginia said. "The water just lifted it right up."
The pounding surf sent the couple running for their car as the hurricane destroyed The Landfall, she said. Mr. Estes rebuilt The Landfall and weathered Hurricane Donna six years later.
Mr. Estes was active in town government and civic affairs on the Cape. He was a Town Meeting member for 33 years and served on the School Committee for six years in the 1960s.
He was director of Falmouth National Bank and was a trustee of Falmouth Hospital. He also served as a trustee of Cape Cod Community College in Barnstable.
In 1967 when Falmouth Youth Hockey began, Mr. Estes was the league's first president. He wrote the bylaws and helped create the league's structure. He also helped the league negotiate ownership of Falmouth Ice Arena.
"He was very proud of that," his son said.
Mr. Estes loved golf. He was on the board of directors of the Bay State Seniors Golf Association and had been a member of the New England Golf Association, the American Golf Association, and The Southern Golf Association.
In recent years, he and his wife spent their winters in Stuart, FL, where Mr. Estes was a member of Mariner Sands Country Club and served on the club's board of directors.
SURVIVORS:
Wife: Virginia
Sons: Steven, William, Donald & James
8 grandchildren
FamilySearch™ U.S. Social Security Death Index
--------------------------------------------
David ESTES
Birth Date: 27 Feb 1922
Death Date: 11 Aug 2008
Social Security Number: 016-16-7474
State or Territory Where Number Was Issued: Massachusetts
Death Residence Localities
ZIP Code: 34997
Localities: Stuart, Martin, Florida
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