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| David (recent picture) |
On Wednesday, March 13, I (Rob) learned that my friend David passed away. Although as we grew older and we lost touch, I have always had some fun memories of our friendship back in the mid-1990s when I lived in Orlando for a year.
My friend Tobie and I were roommates back then and we met David, who instantly bonded with us. David had a great sense of humor, and the three of us laughed a lot. Back then, David was a property manager, and he continued to work in that profession until he passed on March 3, 2019.
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| Top to bottom: Rob, Tobie, David 1995 |
Here are a couple of them:
1) One Halloween, Tobie and I put together a Halloween party, where Tobie dressed as Batman, I dressed as the Shadow and David was "The Mask" (from the 1990s movie). Because the Mask wore a lime green leisure suit, David insisted we drive to Miami to check out thrift stores because he said that those colors were big there. Sure enough, he found a lime green leisure suit! We laughed a lot about that and he was the hit of the party. Tobie, David and I also walked around downtown Orlando on Halloween in our costumes and people wanted pictures with all of us.
2) David and our friend Chris drove over to St. Petersburg Beach one weekend and relaxed in the sun, then struck some poses - just for fun. It was really memorable.
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4) When I finally found a University with a meteorology program in Kentucky, it was David who volunteered to drive with me (as my truck carried a U-Haul) from Florida to Kentucky to get me settled in.
5) Once I finally re-settled in Maryland many years later (early 2000s), David came to visit. He insisted that we go to a gay male strip bar - and I had never been to one before. He made fun of me because I found it a little awkward (I wouldn't now), and he thoroughly enjoyed being there and laughing about it later.
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| St Pete Beach, :LtoR: Chris, David, Rob (1995) |
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| L to R: Tobie, David, Rob |
David J. Stanz, age 53, of Orlando, Florida passed away suddenly on Sunday, March 3, 2019.
David was born on November 7, 1965 in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to North Fort Myers, Florida, near his mother in 1992 and to Orlando, Florida in 1994. David met his partner Darryl Verhey on October 29, 2002, welcoming his three children and now five grandchildren. David and Darryl were married on February 10, 2018. They loved taking cruises, over ten in recent years, where David enjoyed spending time in the casino.
Before moving to Florida, David was an active member of St. Mary's Polish National Catholic Church in Parma, Ohio; where he served as an altar boy, choir member, Sunday school teacher, youth group advisor and on the Board of Directors.
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| L to R: David, Rob as Wyatt Earp, Andrew |
David was most recently the property manager at Starlight Ranch in Orlando.
David is survived by his loving family; husband Darryl, mother Phyllis Stanz (Kozlevcar), sister Cheryl DeCara, brother-in-law Martin DeCara and many treasured friends and family members. He was preceded in death by his father, John Stanz.
Visitation will be on Friday, March 8, 2019 beginning at 4 p.m. with a service at 7 p.m. at Newcomer Cremations, Funerals & Receptions-East Orlando, 895 S. Goldenrod Road, Orlando, FL 32822.
To share your memories of David or leave a special condolence message for his family, please click the Share Memories button above.
https://www.newcomerorlando.com/Obituary/169423/David-Stanz/Orlando-Florida
