Dave's name was quite a chunky moniker for a little guy; the middle name Barnabas was given to him in homage to his ancestor, Barnabas Horton, one of the early English settlers of Southold Town. He was the eleventh generation from the original Horton's son, Jonathan. David B. never went around bragging about his relationship to the early settlers -- he had too much respect for the indigenous Corchaugs for that and he always knew he had to make it in life on his own merits. But he was very proud to carry the trait of salty language that trailed through the years of Horton men. Legend has it that the original Barnabas, a baker, was put in the stocks for swearing on a Sunday because someone picked on his pet bear cub.

Dave had an idyllic childhood as he described it: "As a place to grow up Orient was great -- clusters of houses and large areas of farm fields, creeks, bays and the Long Island Sound with the cliffs and clay banks. Kids had more time then, I think, and we had to figure out what to do with it. Mostly this consisted of roaming all over the village, docks, shore, streets, backyards and up trees. Everybody knew everyone else in Orient then and kids called most of the older people aunt or uncle. It was strange but it seemed that people of an older generation that had passed on were still around. It was like we knew them (because we heard so much about them, what they said, what happened here or there before we were born.)"

After completing eighth grade at Orient Grammar School, Dave attended Greenport High School and graduated from the Williston Academy (now the Williston Northampton School) in Easthampton, Mass., in 1951. He graduated from Western Maryland College (now the McDaniel College) in 1955. Dave detested school and never paid much attention while there. He had, however, an abiding love for classical music, nurtured by his musically talented parents and the radio that infused his childhood home with classical programs from WQXR. He never ceased to amaze -- and annoy -- classmates when the music appreciation teacher bumped him out of his sleep with a question about a piece she played, and he would sit up and answer appropriately every single time.

In preparation for working in the family funeral business he attended The American Academy of Embalming and Mortuary Research (now The American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service). Upon graduation he returned to Greenport and entered the family business -- S.B. Horton Funeral Home -- that had been established in 1862 by his great-grandfather Justus Elbert and grandfather Schuyler Bogart. He followed his father, Schuyler Wentworth, into the business.

In 1968, David married Gail Fischer of Southold. Both reluctant to leave their childhood villages, they compromised and settled in the family home built by Eva Albertson and Schuyler B. Horton on First Street. There, they raised their three children, Daniel Barnabas, Joshua Young and Eva Taft. They all agree that their dad was a stellar dad and that his storytelling, unique gardening, love of the environment, piano playing and vast knowledge of all things great and arcane, embodied in his loving manner, provided them with a rich childhood.

In Orient, as a teenager, Dave was a charter member of the Oysterponds Historical Society and served as Nelson Chapman's assistant curator. With trap fisherman, artist, amateur archeologist and naturalist Elliot Brooks he enjoyed exploring the wetlands and natural areas of the community searching for arrowheads and objects from the Poquatuck Indians. When he discovered the disrepair and bad overgrowth at Tuthill Cemetery at Hog Pond, where the family was buried with their slaves and a few Native Americans, he sought Elliot's guidance in restoring the area properly. He borrowed a scythe from Ed Miller, learned how to sharpen it from Joe Douglas and set about clearing the brush from Tuthill Cemetery and the colonial burial ground on Stern's Hill. He was also a member of Orient Congregational Church, which his mother's family has attended for generations. Dave was also a volunteer fireman with the Orient Fire Department. He continued his community service when he moved to Greenport, serving on both the village Housing Authority and the Planning Board, and the Greenhill Cemetery Association, dating back to the days when the Henry Clark family maintained the association.

In 1989, David and his then-partner William Nedoszytko sold the funeral home, and Dave attended Rutgers University and Pace School for Alcoholism Counseling and Treatment, earning accreditation as an alcohol and drug counselor. He subsequently worked as a night-availability counselor in the Quannacut Addiction Services program at Eastern Long Island Hospital until he retired completely in 2001. He then relaxed and enjoyed his family and the birth of his grandchildren, gardening, clamming and fishing with his brother Stew, practicing his piano, attending the annual piano series at Carnegie Hall, reading, walking his dog downtown and having supper nearly ready for his wife when she returned home from work.

This past August, Dave was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer. He had the best of medicine and care from Dr. Daniel Danila and his staff at the Prostate and Urinary Care Center of Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, but the cancer proved to be too advanced. Dave returned home to spend his final week under the care of East End Hospice and his family, with his community around him.

Early Friday evening, Jan. 29, 2010, the nearly full moon was smiling in the sky and Dave's ruling planet, Mars, glowed nearby. Dave passed away in the company of his family. As he wished, he was buried the following afternoon in the family plot at Greenhill Cemetery, with six family men carrying his simple wooden casket. The family and community proceeded to the cemetery from Horton-Mathie Funeral Home for a brief service of recollection, prayer and song by Gail Horton, Father Thomas Murray of St. Agnes R.C. Church, Russell Lee Smith and Tonia Swann Franklin of the Clinton Memorial AME Zion Church choir. The family gives special thanks to everyone, including Doug Mathie, Mike Underwood and Barbara Davidson of the funeral home for fulfilling Dave's wishes.

Dave Horton is survived by his wife, Gail Fischer Horton; two sons, Daniel and Joshua and his wife, Yvonne Lieblein, of Greenport; a daughter, Eva, and her husband, Nicholas Bogaty, of Brooklyn; his brother, Stewart, and his wife, Florence Tuthill, of Orient; five grandchildren; sister- and brother-in-law Peggy and James Murphy of Southold; brother- and sister-in-law Daniel and Nancy Burns Fischer of Orient; eight nieces and nephews; and 11 great-nieces and -nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Greenhill Cemetery, 735 First St., Greenport, NY 11944 or The Stirling Historical Society, P.O. Box 590, Greenport, NY 11944.

A reception to remember, honor and toast David B. Horton will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, at the Townsend Manor Inn, 714 Main St., Greenport.

Add your comments below:

Your name:

Your email:

Subject:


Comments:



Enter text seen above:

1 comments found

The story : 2/16/2010
What a warm, personal tribute to David B. Horton and his life. While I didn't know him, I now feel as if we had met and chatted a bit.

---