A Life Dedicated to Service, Now Focused on Fighting Cancer and Inspiring Others

David, 76, fondly recalls childhood road trips spent exploring cemeteries. Impressed by the accomplishments listed on countless tombstones, he found himself ordering one of his own after learning, four years ago, that he had stage IV liver cancer with spread to his lung. He wanted to reflect on what he’d achieved before his final chapter. Yet, it soon became clear that a single marker could hardly capture such a remarkable life.

Raised in Fredonia, New York, David helped run his family’s service station from age 10. Drafted into the Army, he served as a Military Policeman, initially protecting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the 1965 civil rights march in Selma. Later, in Vietnam, he escorted both General William Westmoreland and Vice President Hubert Humphrey. Upon returning stateside, he joined the Dunkirk and Fredonia Phone Company (DFT) while also serving as a part-time police officer, eventually becoming police chief for the Town of Sheridan. Volunteering as a firefighter for over 50 years, he then embarked on a 25-year tenure as a local judge.

In 2015, David faced his toughest assignment: a diagnosis of advanced liver cancer. As he balanced treatment with an already full schedule, oncologist Dr. Renuka Iyer explained he might have as little as six months. However, a clinical trial provided new hope in the form of a daily chemotherapy pill. Over three and a half years, his tumors shrank by more than half, allowing him to continue working as a judge in the Village of Fredonia. When the medication ceased to be effective in 2018, he began a second trial: an immunotherapy approach that utilizes his own cells to target cancer. Although he experiences mild joint discomfort, David remains positive. With his wife Susan Marsh coordinating travels between Florida and Fredonia for ongoing treatment, he feels well enough to enjoy each new day.

“I’ve had a wonderful ride,” David says. “Every new day is a bonus. I thank my doctors, family, and friends for making me feel so important and respected.”