David Lee Fielding
May 30, 1967 – December 18, 2005
(Photo: November 2001)
Lieutenant Colonel David Fielding
Squadron Commander
Mount Pocono Composite Squadron 207, Civil Air Patrol
High Flight
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds–and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of–wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.–RCAF Flight Lt. John Gillespie Magee Jr.
David, looking cheerful
Another World
How glorious, these blazing heights
Above the weather’s fickle sway–Where I, with metal wings outspread,
Surpassed the reckless dragonfly:
As morning fringed the clouds in red,
I chased the dawn across the sky.
I traced the southward gusts that blow
The birds of summer on their way,
A conflagration, there below,
Of autumn colours on display.With such delight as quite exceeds
The clumsy scratchings of my pen,
In mad pursuit of daring deeds,
I burst above the clouds, and then,
With boyish mischief on my mind,
I dove and spun and banked and whirled;
And there, in smoky letters, signed
My name upon another world.
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Dear Gail, how sad – our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Lee and Ross
David soars on his last flight and, oh, the world is the poorer for it.
I only knew you through Gail and your blog, but it was a very humbling experience to read the thoughts of someone that fought illness with such courage.
I hope God gives you wings to fly again in the skies above us.
Godbless you David.
Gerald
Blue skies, David.
I’ll bet that right now Dave is exploring the flight characteristics of his new “wings”. Rest in Peace my friend. You will be missed.
Dan
While we on earth shed tears of sadness, the heavens are rejoicing to welcome David, now free of his struggle and pain. They’ve gained another angel!
Peace be with you Gail, in the days and weeks to come. David was a wonderful man, I can tell, and he loved you so very much and will always be with you.
David, you will be sadly missed.
David – you fought the good fight. Rest in peace – you will be missed. Gail – David was a wonderful, incredible man. Even the little that we knew him – he touches our lives and hearts. Our hearts are breaking for you.
My condolences. I am so sorry for your loss.
It was an honor to meet you David. And trade limericks, and scrabble games, and… you will be missed.
Gail, I wish you a lot of strength in the coming days, weeks and months. The loss of David is so very sad and unfortunate–there are no words for it. This shouldn’t be possible, yet it happened to you.
My heart goes out to all who were touched by David’s life, near and far. May he fly for eternity.
Missed indeed.. thinking about you Gail. *hug*
Dear Gail, I am so deeply saddened by your loss. My thoughts are with you on this most tragic day.
Deepest condolences from me and Will…Gail, you are in our hearts and minds. We send you much love and sympathy.
It will be the little things
that you will remember
the quiet moments
the smiles,
the laughter,
And although it may seem
hard right now.
It will be the memories
of these little things
that help to push
away the pain,
and bring the smiles
back again
Gentle thoughts during this difficult time. May the love of those around you help you through the days ahead.
Gail,
Beautiful poems and words for a wonderful man.
Very touching.
May strength, comfort and peace be with you.
Vicky and I are sending you our deepest condolences, Gail. We know that words provide scant comfort in times of grief, but we are thinking of you and David.
We were so happy to have been able to share that lovely dinner with the two of you in Vancouver, and we will always remember that.
Despite the brevity of your time together, you were both so blessed to know each other, and the time spent in these difficult months is a true testimony to the deep love you shared.
Our love goes out to you.
Mark and Vicky
My thoughts are with you.
I never met you or David in person, but you both touched my life with your wit, talent and obvious amazing show of what Love is. Rod and I are thinking of you.
We are deeply sorry for your loss, Gail. We only knew him online but we know he was a great guy.
Hugs.
This sucks. The only way I could go into work and have it bearable is because Dave was there.We had a bond.I wii never forget him.
Gail –
For what little time I have gotten to know you and Dave through your blog, I can say that I’ve enjoyed how richly you explored life and how thoroughly you loved one another. How you lived as a couple will continue to be an inspiration to many.
Marivic
[...] Dave Fielding passed away yesterday at the age of 38. It was only a little over four months since he was diagnosed with cancer. [...]
Dave, thanks for the taking the time to talk to me about flying. That conversation we had changed my life.
David..
I’m so sleechless, I can’t believe you are no more there.
I’ll miss you so much.
Gail,
Long time, I havn’t exchanged emails with you and I just leanred David’s news frm Bradley.
I’m so sorry and furious.
This world is not fair, I knew it, but…..
Send you all my hugs and kisses to you.
Oh my God, Gail… you should be….
I’m so so sorry, so sorry.
J.
My condolences to you and your family. I ma just so sorry for your loss.
Rhi~
Heartbreaking…
I feel so sorry for Gail.
You are in my thoughts. Wish you all the strength you need.
David, friends forever!
Adios Nonino…
Frank
Gail, I don’t actually know you or David personally, but after having stumbled across your blog almost a year ago I kind of feel that I do.
I send you strength Gail
“When you are born, you cry, and the world rejoices. When you die, you rejoice, and the world cries”. Ancient Tibetan Buddhist saying.
Im so sorry for your loss
Gail,
I’m sorry to say that I never met you. I’ve been reading Dave’s posts its easy to tell that he was very luck to have you in his life. I knew Dave from CAP. We would see each other several times each year as we took our cadets to various CAP events. Dave was a great role model and mentor for the cadets in his squadron. I count myself as fortunate for having known Dave, and I will miss him. Know that we are remembering you and Dave in our prayers.
Bob
My heart goes out to all who knew and loved Dave. I never had the pleasure to meet him in person, and sadly now, never will.
I only hope that there is comfort in knowing that you and Dave touched the lives of many, and the world is better for having known him.
May he find peace now and soar the blue skies forever.
-Chris
All strength to you, Gail. And may you find your own peaceful way to grieve, remember, and heal. Rest assured the world is out here thinking of you.
Dear Gail…have been reading your blog since “letmestayforaday” Raymond stayed
with you in BC….. (As Bird says….so say I)
The world is out here thinking & offering blues skies
for David on his flight home & for you as you grieve.
AMEN
Gail – I only read about David’s blog through a mutual friend, Karl. Every day I would come by both of your sites to see how David and you were doing. I loved reading his stories. He had such a sense of humor and honesty in his writing, I couldn’t help but come back and read more.
You both have touched my life deeply and I will miss him.
Dear Gail,You are far away from home,but our prayers are always with you.Dave now is in good hands.Your togetherness was cut short but was sweet and very meaningful.It’s all God’s plan.Take care and our sympathies and prayers.BE STRONG AND HAVE COURAGE>
My heartfelt condolences to you, Gail and Mona. I pray God would cover and protect your hearts with His Love, and, that His Presence be with you both as you move through the pain of your loss.
Dearest David, you will be missed.
L8o n3LL
To Gail and family: I wish that I could offer a meaningful consolation; but all I am able to offer would be my thoughts and prayers for you.
David is now released from his suffering, but as long as we remember him he is not really “gone”.
I lift you up in my prayers and thoughts to receive comfort and strength now and in the days ahead. David’s legacy will be all the young lives he touched through his love of flying. You have shown such courage with your tender care of David these past weeks. Many people love you and grieve with you.
I am a better person to have crossed path with David.
David…
You are in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here. (Sarah Mclachlan)
You will be missed greatly!
Gail, We love you! Please let us know if we can do anything for you at all.
Gail,
I am a pilot too, though I knew Dave only through the words he wrote. I’m certain I’m not the only stranger he inspired through his passion for aviation and for life itself.
My thoughts have been with you both throughout this fight and they are with you now.
Blue skies and tailwinds, Dave.
Jen
Gail,
I’m so sorry for your loss, I don’t know what to say. I’ll always remember David as he was that weekend in Albany when we met, sitting around and cracking jokes over beer and coffee, bowling up a blue streak, and trying to communicate to us how unbelievably happy he was to have found you. As hard as these last few weeks must have been for him, I’m certain they were eased by your presence at his side. His faith in you was well-placed, and your strength serves as an example to us all.
All my best,
Dan
Gail, I am so sad to hear that David has passed away. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
To have lost the one you love after such a short time, I can’t imagine it. You’ve faced it all with so much courage.
My thoughts are with you,
Anthony
Dear Gail.
I never really had the chance sofar to get to know either of you but Wes always spoke highly about both, so it feels kinda like I know you.
I am so sorry for your lost. I wish we could do something more for you other then pray, send love and strenght.
Its exactly a year ago that I lost my dad at this terrible disease. Stay strong Gail, we sending you and your and Davids family love & strenght. When you need someone to talk to let us know. (((HUGS)))
David – Rest in piece.
Gail,
My heart is with you right now. Having been thru my grandmother’s death last year I can promise you that if I lost Nikita I would be devistated. I am so glad you got to know him better and were with him as much as possible this last year. If you need anything : talk to, write at, or feel cyber hugs from you know I am here for you anytime.
My thoughts and heart are with you this month as you try and deal with the voice he is leaving behind. Please please please let me know if you need anything.
With you in spirit,
Wes
Dearest Gail, i know you only from Flickr, i have never met you or David, I was so hopeful for your winning more time with David, being drawn into the perils of cancer and a great love story. I love love stories and you two seemed to have a great one and even though i am sad to hear of David’s flight from you and us all, there is the love & time you did have together that obviously was so precious. I watched the video of the bi plane ride you took in September and wept.
I hope you find comfort this holiday through some grace.
our condolences.
Chris & Magda
Dear Gail,
I am so sorry for your loss. It was 27 years ago, more or less, that I met David, and through all my growing up–or so it seems–he was my best friend and ‘partner in crime’. When we met again (much, much later), I was astonished by the man that he had become. I loved him with all my heart, then and now. And now I regret more than ever that I let our friendship lapse a second time. I suppose in my heart of hearts I never imagined that we would not meet once more, somewhere, somehow.
I cannot express the sadness that I have been feeling these last few days, for you, for Mona, for all those who knew and loved him, and (selfishly I know) for myself. Such a remarkable human being; a mind like quicksilver, the heart of a lion, and–dare I say it–the feet of clay of any human being, which only made him more real, and therefore even more remarkable. I would have liked to have met you, and seen the two of you together. I see now how happy you made him and how he was not alone on this final journey. For that, Gail, I will be forever grateful. Yours was indeed, as said elsewhere, a “great love story”. I am so saddened that it all had to end, so soon after it had begun.
Thank you for your love for David, and your courage, and I wish you all the strength and healing that you may require in the days ahead. Thank you for your words and pictures…painful as it may be to read at times, knowing now what I know, that David is gone. And yet he seems not gone at all; his openhearted generosity, his boundless curiosity, his amazing mind; the boy I knew, and the man that he had become, all live on in the minds of everyone who knew him. No one who met David ever came away unchanged, and even if his spirit has been set free–I know not where–he lives on in each and every one of us, forever young, forever his quintessential self.
It is nearly impossible to speak of David in the past tense; no one so vital could possibly be gone. And yet…and yet, I am given a needful reminder of how fleeting life can be. David, I can still hear your voice chiding me about one thing or another, reminding me that I ought to appreciate what I already have, that life is far too short to waste on grieving for what once was, or what may be. I may not have believed you then, but I do now. I wish I could have told you that, in person. You were right of course, my dear David, you were right.
I am sorry, Gail (and how odd that our names are the same, that David’s life would be bracketed thus, although I am sure we are very different people), that my comment is so lengthy and so personal. It helps to write it out somehow, and I hope you derive some comfort from it. Please know that when my small family and I are lighting the candles for Chanukah, and when we gather with my parents–who remember David as the young man who spent as much time at their house as he did at his own–for Christmas, we will be holding you, Mona, and David in our hearts.
Peace and Blessings,
Gail Snyder Shochet
Dear Gail,
I just found your website when I Googled Dave’s (I always called him Mr. Fielding) name. I never got the opportunity to meet you, but I have heard many things about you from the CAP family. Mr. Fielding will always be known as one of the most influential people in my life. He gave me, a scared kid, wings on more than one occasion. One conversation we had stands out in my memory. It must have been 2002 or earlier. I was blissfully talking about my plans for the future and how marriage was one of them. He promptly told me not to get my hopes up
I told him that there is such a thing as true love and that there really is hope to find it – and that when I did he’d be the first I’d invite to my wedding. March 6 2004 he walked up to the head table and complimented my choice in music. Soon after love found him too. You so blessed his life. Thank you.
My heart and prayers are with you always. If you ever need anything please don’t hesitate to contact me. Stories of true love never really end… They just gain immortality.
God Bless you…
Aleya
Gail, we are truly sorry and saddened at the loss of David. We send you our love and strength at this time.
Gail
I am so sorry to hear about your loss. I just found out while reading his blog and I know I won’t be able to fall asleep now. I used to work with Dave years ago and he helped me solve many computer problems. He was a great guy and I am so glad you both met each other and were able to share so many memorable times together in such a short amount of time. My prayers are with you at this time.
Denise
My thoughts are with you Gail. I checked Daves blog out from time to time and even though we never met I feel that the world is poorer for his passing. Both of you will be in my thoughts.
[...] David Lee Fielding — May 30, 1967 – December 18, 2005. Rest in peace, good and faithful servant. [...]
Was daydreaming today and thought of Dave.
We are busier than ever at CAP.
“Performing Missions for America,” don’t you know.
All the While doing what we enjoy doing best. Flying.
Sure could use DAVE’S HELP.
I miss him.
God Bless you, Gail, as well as the whole family. I’ve lost a grandfather and aunt to cancer, but I can’t imagine losing my wife to it. From one CAP Senior to the wife of another, I deeply express not only my sincere sorrow to hear of his passing but wish to thank you both for your service to the CAP and, consequently, this country. He is part of what Memorial Day is all about — though CAP is a volunteer organization, we do indeed serve our nation through several means, not the least of these is time. Again, God Bless you and your family, and may the Lord bless you and keep you always.
Semper Vigilans!
2LT Alan L. Parrish,
Civil Air Patrol