Died December 17, 2007
College: Saybrook
Widow: Mrs. Darcy Marentette
1513 Fairmont Boulevard
Eugene, OR 97403-1768
UnkD@aol.com
Children: Serena Winters; Elijah
Grandchildren: William Winters; Darthea Winters; David Booth Marentette II
David attended Yale and Columbia Universities and graduated from Alma College. On September 12, 1964, he married Darthea (Darcy) Crocker Chandler in Phippsburg, Maine. They lived for 10 years in Brooklyn, New York, where David taught as a member of the founding staff at St. Ann’s School.
David and Darcy’s children, Serena and Elijah, were both born in Brooklyn. In 1973, the young family moved to Eugene, Oregon, where David pursued his studies, received a Ph.D. and taught in the Geography Department at the University of Oregon. David also worked on the staff of the first edition of the Atlas of Oregon.
David and Darcy spent summers at their beach house in Small Point, Phippsburg, Maine, with their children and Darcy’s extended family (all 45 of them!). David particularly enjoyed making repairs and building additions to the house.
David and Darcy shared a lifetime love of travel and exploring the world, learning about its cultures, and meeting its people. Together, they explored the nooks and crannies of 49 of the 50 states (missing only Alaska), and every continent but Antarctica. David and Darcy lived in the small fishing town of Pylos, Greece, in 1965 and enjoyed becoming members of the Pylos community. From climbing in the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan in 1969 to visiting the excavations of the Roman city of Viminacium in Serbia in 2007, David had what he described as “an abiding interest in the surface of the earth and its people.”
David also loved all things mechanical, and locomotives in particular. Since his retirement in the mid-1990s, his great passion was working on restoration of antique steam locomotives, most especially Southern Pacific 4449, “The Daylight.” He spent three days a week in Portland, Oregon, helping to keep the 4449 operating. It was, sadly, in this favorite endeavor, that he took the fall that ultimately caused his death from a traumatic brain injury.
David was a true gentleman as well as a gentle man. He had the quality, unusual in our times, of being a good listener. David was genuinely interested in the people he met and learned something from each of them. One of his colleagues working on the 4449 remarked that, “Whether you’re a doctor or a ditch digger, when you finish a conversation with David, you feel like you’re the most important person in the world.”
David had a remarkable ability to absorb and retain information on any subject from his reading and from anyone he talked to.
David is survived by his wife of 43 years, Darcy; his daughter and son-in-law Serena Marentette Winters and Jeffrey Lytle Winters of Brooklyn, New York, and their children William and Darthea; and by his son and daughter-in-law Elijah Chandler Marentette and Virginia Adams Marentette of Washington, DC, their son David Booth Marentette II and a new grandchild to be born in April, 2011.
—by Darcy Marentette
Obituary:
David Booth Marentette, of Eugene, OR, and Small Point, Phippsburg, ME, died December 17, 2007, at home, in the arms of his family, after a valiant, three-month struggle to overcome traumatic head injuries he suffered from a fall. David was born February 7, 1939, in Detroit, Ml, to Lloyd Reaume Marentette and Margaret Ellen Booth Marentette. David attended Yale and Columbia universities and graduated from Alma College. On September 12, 1964, he married Darthea (Darcy) Crocker Chandler in Phippsburg, ME. They lived for ten years in Brooklyn, NY, where David taught middle school at St. Ann’s School. David and Darcy’s children, Serena and Elijah, were both born in Brooklyn. In 1973, the young family moved to Eugene, where David pursued his studies, received a Ph.D. and taught in the Geography Department at the University of Oregon. David and Darcy shared a lifetime of travel and exploring the world, learning about its cultures, and meeting its people. Together, they explored the nooks and crannies of 49 of the 50 states (missing only Alaska), and every continent but Antarctica. David and Darcy lived in the small fishing town of Pylos, Greece, in 1965 and enjoyed becoming members of the Pylos community. From climbing the mountains of the Hindu Kush in Afghanistan in 1969, to visiting the excavations of the Roman city of Viminacium in Serbia in 2007, David had what he described as “an abiding interest in the surface of the earth and its people.” David also loved all things mechanical, and locomotives in particular. Since his retirement in the mid-1990s, his great passion was working on restoration of antique steam locomotives, most especially Southern Pacific 4449 “The Daylight.” He spent three days a week in Portland, OR, helping to keep the 4449 operating. It was, sadly, in this favorite endeavor, that he took the fall that ultimately caused his death. David was a true gentleman as well as a gentle man. He had the quality, unusual in our time, of being a good listener. David was genuinely interested in the people he met and learned something from each of them. One of his colleagues working on the 4449 remarked that, “Whether you’re a doctor or a ditch digger, when you finish a conversation with David, you feel like you’re the most important person in the world.” David had a remarkable ability to absorb and retain information on any subject from his reading and from anyone he talked to. When confronted with an unanswerable question, David�s son says, “I’ll call my father. He’ll know the answer. My Dad knows everything.” David is survived by his wife of 43 years, Darcy; his daughter and son-in-law Serena Marentette Winters and Jeffrey Lytle Winters; his son and daughter-in-law Elijah Chandler Marentette and Virginia Adams Marentette; his grandson, William Lytlo Winters; and a new grandchild to be born to Elijah and Virginia in 2008. He is also survived by his brother, Daniel Booth Marentette and partner Margaretta Taylor; and his brothers- and sisters-in-law Abby and Barry Norling, Becky and Rodger Cuthbert, Jack and Sarah Chandler, and Bill and Joan Chandler, many of whom traveled long distances and spent much time and hard work lovingly caring for David during his illness. Tremendous support also came from David’s ten nieces and nephews, their spouses and partners, as well as his eight great-nieces and -nephews, and many wonderful friends who have sustained David’s extended family throughout his illness. A memorial celebration of David’s life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 22, 2007, at Gerlinger Hall on the University of Oregon campus. at the intersection of East 15th Avenue and University Street. Donations in David’s memory may be made to any of the following: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, for a bench to be installed in David’s honor (BBG, Development Office, 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11225); the Friends of SP 4449 (P.O. Box 42486, Portland, OR 97242) for the care and maintenance of this historic steam locomotive: or to your favorite library.