David B. Cave

David B. Cave (83) of Bluffton, SC, formerly of Douglas, MA died July 24 at home. He leaves his wife of 60 years, Sue Schuster Cave; three daughters: Julie Altman of Bristol, RI; Jennifer Hernandez of Bluffton, SC; and Beth McBride of Hong Kong; two sisters: Judith Curtis of Austin, TX, and Marjorie Dodge of Portsmouth, RI; and six grandchildren. He was born December 13, 1931 in Winchester, MA, son of Geoffrey B. and Alice (Balcome) Cave, and moved to Douglas in 1932. After completing elementary school in the old two-room schoolhouse in Douglas center, Cave graduated Douglas HS in 1949; the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) in 1953; Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI in April 1954; and Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, CA, in 1964. He received his Naval Wings of Gold in July 1955 and served in the Navy and Naval Reserve for 36 years as a pilot, flying both props and jets, and as a meteorologist and engineering duty officer, retiring as Captain in 1989. For service in Vietnam in 1968, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat V. As a civilian, he worked in management at the former Hayward-Schuster Woolen Mills, Inc. in East Douglas, and was active in community affairs. He was a member of the Board of Selectmen, the school and school building committees, the Board of Health and the Recreation Commission. In later years, he worked as a mechanical estimator for R.H. White Construction Company in Auburn, MA, and sold real estate. Along the way, Cave roughnecked on oil drilling rigs in Oklahoma, flew sea planes in Alaska, skied Tuckerman's in NH, sailed the Intracoastal Waterway, survived a severe bout with cancer in 2000 and with his wife Sue, canoed many of the rivers in New England. In June 2005, he and Sue moved from Douglas to Sun City Hilton Head, SC, where he played and managed a softball program for 5 years and enjoyed Low Country living. A memorial service will be held at Saul's Funeral Home in Bluffton, SC on Wednesday, July 29 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to the USO. A memorial service will be held at Saul's Funeral Home in Bluffton, SC on Wednesday, July 29 at 2pm.