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Obituary (WA): David Loyd Durfee '63

Posted on 05/07/2019

David Loyd Durfee, age 80, passed away peacefully with his wife and minister by his side on April 6, 2019, at Clearbrook Inn in Silverdale, Washington, following complications from heart disease.

David was born in Fort Benning, Georgia on June 23, 1938, to a military family. He was raised throughout the United States and for some time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, while he father was stationed there. Dave enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from Annapolis Naval Academy in 1963. Both his father and grandfather, as well as some of his uncles, graduated from West Point. David was proud to be the first family member to join the Navy. He served in the supply chain during the Viet Nam war and helped to keep the river patrol boats supplied. After he completed his service, he met his wife Vivian M. Durfee in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They wed in 1975. Immediately following their wedding, the newlywed Durfees relocated to Kitsap County, where Dave accepted a position as a mechanical engineer at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Dave retired early from the shipyard to pursue his passion in music and model trains. He was an avid cello player and played in both the Bainbridge Island Orchestra and Bremerton Symphony, respectively. He also wrote program notes for the Bremerton Symphony under the direction of conductor Bontrager. David enjoyed classical music with a particular fondness for Dvorak. He also taught cello lessons to local youth. Dave's interest in model trains led him to develop lifelong friendships with like-minded collectors with whom he has met regularly for many, many years.

David is survived by wife Vivian and a Basset Hound named Daisy, niece Dana Durfee in Tennessee, nephews Thomas and Donald Durfee in Florida, sister-in-law Sue (Jon) Hartzler and their children Cindy and Scott in Virginia, and brother-in-law William (Nancy) Renshaw and their son William in Pennsylvania. David's brother Thomas Durfee preceded him in death on January 28, 2019 at age 77.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 1pm at St. Antony of Egypt Episcopal Church, 11885 Old Frontier Rd, Silverdale, WA 98383.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to St. Antony of Egypt Episcopal Church or a charity of your choosing. Please visit Dave's full life story at www.lewischapel.com

Published in Kitsap Sun on May 7, 2019