David Scott Gaker
David Scott Gaker, 50, of Liberty Township, Ohio, died at his home on July 7, 2004 after a long and valiant struggle with cancer. His family was at his bedside.
David was born November 30, 1953 in Rochester, NY. He grew up in Middletown, Ohio, and subsequently graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in agricultural engineering.
In October 1979 he married Karen Lamping of Cincinnati. They had two children, Jennifer and David (DJ).
He is survived by Karen, Jennifer (now 22) and DJ (20). He is also survived by his parents, Dr Louis and Carolyn Gaker, his brothers, Jeffrey, Bruce, Douglas, and his sister, Lisa.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Timber Framers Guild Memorial Scholarship Fund or the American Cancer Society. You may donate through the online store.
A Salute to Dave from some old friends and fellow travelers
Dave was engaged and involved. A childhood friend, Jeff Heck, said of Dave that “his passion for his work never overtook his ability to enjoy his blessings, from the sun setting over his beloved farm, to the rich fellowship of his family and many friends. He traveled extensively and lived life with exuberance; his friendships and adventures from childhood to the end of his life are a reminder of how full a life can be.”
Full indeed, even a brief look at just the Guild projects Dave engaged himself in is impressive for its depth and scope. Those projects include: Ameriflora, the Speed River Bridge in Guelph, the boathouse in Russia (twice), Malabar Farms, Penetanguishene, Lone Mountain Ranch, Green’s Island, the Dolly Copp Pavilion, trebuchets in Scotland, windmills in Indiana, the Kicking Horse River Bridge, the Marine Gateway and the Seaside Centre in Sechelt BC, and lastly a teahouse workshop at Asilomar. Mike Goldberg remembers a day early in the Scottish adventure in this way: “Dave set the bed timbers for the trebuchet, sounds simple huh? Oh no. Dave was on his knees in ankle deep, cold, black, sticky mud, digging with his hands to get those bed timbers level.” Dave was there to get something done, whatever it took, and did not lose sight of why he was doing it.
From Dennis Marcom
Dave and I had worked together on some Guild and other projects over the years since our meeting in 1985. This past April Dave and I worked together again. By this time the struggle with the cancer had become a part of his daily routine, like taking on another part-time job. The work, this time, was on a fine 19th C barn that he was rebuilding for his brother Doug. In my own life, I’ve been struck, with the difficulty of balancing those things that we all seek to keep ‘in balance’ – family, work, fun, making the ends meet in the middle. The seesaw swings (careens sometimes) from out of balance in one direction to out of balance in the other. Yet here was Dave working with a far longer seesaw – working hard to stay alive, preparing for death, caring for his craft and fussing with all the details of recreating a fine old barn put to use in the 20th C, stopping for an ice cream on the way home, taking care, good care, of his fine family – and he had somehow managed to turn the balancing act into a dance, a beautiful dance. I was proud to be his friend, proud, really, to be a member of the same species.
Dave’s Last Job
At the memorial service for Dave, on Saturday July 10, Mike Goldberg put out a call for volunteers to finish up one last job that Dave had not been able to complete. A fine crew of framers and friends completed that work on Sunday to install 8 loft timbers in the frame. A fitting end to a memorial to a man who loved his work, but who placed an even higher value on his fellow human beings. Dave himself, writing in Scantlings after the Asilomar tea house workshop, wrote: “Reflecting on my experiences with the Guild, I hate to think how I would have evolved without this group. It is an organization with a big, big heart.” And how would we have evolved without you, Dave.
Dave with his wife, Karen, at the Montebello conference during the Halloween auction last year. Below: At Sterling Castle in Scotland.
With Mike Goldberg in the Mud at Loch Ness.
During the Highland Fling in Scotland, Gaker and others dressed in kilts. He is in the center of the photo.
The Guelph Bridge project.
