I met David Hoffmire when he accepted the parking space / retaining wall project in early 2007. With the job taking a few months, we saw a lot of each other. Sure - lots of the face-time was what would be expected: time-tables, progress reports, and payment-schedules. But we also got to know each other. Sometimes we'd just sit down outside and BS.

I hired him again in December '07 for the house foundation. Midway through the job, he mentioned that wasn't feeling so well. He was struggling to get health care coverage. Weeks went by. Finally he was accepted and went in for tests. He phoned to tell me that they were keeping him for the night. That's not a good sign.

He phoned me a day or so later, February 15th, and told me that he had six months to live. He'd just turned 50, so it seemed hard to believe.

He decided to fight the prognosis: doing the radiology and chemo.

He passed away Sunday, May 11th. Just three months after diagnosis.

One of the original reasons for creating this site was to promote contractors who I thought were honest, fair, and good at what they did. Now my number-one guy has moved on.

I miss you Dave. I think about you often. As someone said at your memorial, "You were bigger than life."