David and Jessie were very lucky to have Dave in their lives as they had been told children might not be an option for them. But thankfully their prayers were answered and David came along on the 31st of July 1989, followed by Jamie 6 years later.

As usual with Dave he was a wee bit impatient and arrived 3 and a half weeks early and spent several days in the Special Care Baby Unit in Raigmore Hospital.

David came home to the first family home, which was a Cottage at Balnaglack Farm Petty, at the entrance to the now Castle Stuart Golf Course and sadly demolished to make way for the course, before moving to Hillhead, Ardersier then onto Campbelltown, Ardersier.

After a difficult start to life their darling boy thrived and learnt how to make the most of his life, which he certainly did.

Dave went to Ardersier Primary School then onto Culloden Academy where he was classed as an able but unwilling student. David was more interested in the social side of school and made many friends, many here with us today.

He loved his Saturdays when from the age of 4 he was taken with his Uncles and Cousins to watch his Dad's beloved Kilmarnock. He became an avid football supporter particularly Liverpool, but he’d watch any team. He loved to collect football tops and had some bizarre team tops, the last one he bought was Fenerbache, his excuse when asked, "I like yellow tops".

Dave was a loving brother and was delighted when Jamie came along, always protective of Jamie and fussing round him. When kids, if Jamie was in the bath Dave had to be in the bath with him. He loved pushing him about in his buggy but got too enthusiastic one day and tipped Jamie over in the buggy.

When they lived at Hillhead he caused a major panic, the day they thought he had disappeared. He used to be allowed down the Sandy Brae (Ardersier folks will know where we are) with his Mam watching from the top and Pat and Alex meeting him at the football field. This particular day he wasn’t allowed down to go and see Alex and had been playing quite happily in the garden with Oscar his dog but when Mam went to check on him he couldn’t be found, they searched the garden and caravan park, looking down the brae but no sign of David (yes he got his full title that day). Anyway they phoned around but nobody had seen him. They were in a total panic and about to call the police when they found him behind the settee sleeping soundly oblivious to the pandemonium he had caused. He was reminded many times of that disappearing act. What we did not know at the time, was that this was a sign for the future as many more disappearing acts were to follow as he got older.

He was a member of the Tartan Army and is wearing his Scotland top today. He had managed to get a promise out of his dad that if they qualified for a major competition he would take him, and his Dad hopes to fulfill that promise, with Jamie.

He traveled far and wide with the family on holiday and at 17 started holidaying with his mates, gaining experiences only some people dream about but never get around to.

On his first "Mates Only" holiday he and his pal Nathan managed to get on the wrong plane nearly ending up in Malaga instead of Majorca and got up to a few things better not mentioned here….like causing their Mothers Jess and Pat nightmares by getting involved with a couple of corrupt policemen who tried to extort money out of them…..could only happen to Dave and Nat.

Dave was always an independent lad and had lived in Inverness for the last few years, but was always nipping back to Ardersier for one of his Mams home cooked dinners, especially a plate of broth followed by Shepherds pie and any loose change hanging about the family home.

he was chuffed when they took a family holiday at Christmas 2013 to Chamonix (he picked it of course so the lads could snowboard). His competitive side kicked in hoping his Snowboarding experience would help him beat Jamie down the mountain, as he was worried that Jamie’s skateboarding skills would help him, but that was not the case. Dave whizzed down the mountain and stood laughing at Jamie’s wibble, wobble way of getting to the bottom of the mountain and his Dad’s comment that Jamie looks like the bendy man coming down the mountain.

A great holiday was had by all but Mam and Dad got a bit stressed when the boys went clubbing on Christmas Eve and returned at 7am….well you would not expect anything less from Dave and yes more friends were made on that night too. That holiday will be cherished by the family as it was the last family holiday they all had together.

True to form Dave's last Snowboarding Holiday to France with his mates was fraught with incident. On his return his Dad had seen a report that there was going to be a snow jam event at Aviemore and asked was he going, “no” came the short and rather swift reply “not enough snow, waste of time”, next day his Dad had seen a TV report saying Cairngorm had loads of new snow and they were expecting a bumper weekend, so he spoke with Dave again and told him what he had heard…once again, he was told “Dad they always say that nah I’ll not be going up waste of time”. Little did they know the real reason ... Dave's snowboard never made it back from France….a rather expensive Christmas gift, which he hoped to replace prior to Mam noticing….yes he left it on the rack outside a pub, not once but twice the first time he managed to find it the second time no luck. He told Jamie, Mam the detective is getting suspicious think I’ll have to come clean.

Dave loved fishing and was getting into golf to sustain him through the Summer until the Snow returned to his beloved Cairngorms where he was at his happiest….as in the past few years his main concern was if there going to be enough snow in the Cairngorms for his snowboarding. You would often hear him saying (snowboarding - Cairngorms - happy days).

Dave had plenty of downs in his life but this is not the time to reflect on them, one of the family sayings was “if it wasn’t for bad luck Dave would have no luck at all”, but as Dave would say “He didn’t have problems only circumstances”. This is not the time or the place to remember them but to remember the happy go lucky Dave who “loved to live and lived to love” as the contents of the love box he kept in his house would indicate.

You could not go anywhere with Dave without him stopping to speak to someone even just nipping to the supermarket with him took ages as he always met someone he knew and he would always stop and chat (a special quality which many of us don’t have as we sometimes pretend not to see and pass by) although his Mam thought it was so she would finish his shopping for him, passing the till on the way. Dave knew he was lucky to have so many friends that touched his life in so many different ways and at different stages in his life.

He loved his music festivals and concerts like Cream Fields, Glasgow Green, Rock Ness, and seen so many bands particularly Stone Roses and the Verve. He couldn’t wait to go to "T In the Park" this year as it was his first for eight years.

Anytime Dave was asked by his parents to do something it would take ages as he always said I’m a busy guy with places to go and people to see. But the funny thing
is the people he worked with over the years said he was always hardworking and always had a smile on his face.

He certainly was not work shy as he worked part time while at Culloden Academy (mind you he only went to school part time). His first full time job was with CR Smiths as an apprentice Joiner and his last was with the Co-Op Distribution Centre at Dalcross, with many in between and all said he was a capable fun guy to work with, who was not frightened to get stuck in.

Of the many cards the family have received one in particular sticks out as it sums Dave up. A short excerpt says:- I was devastated to hear the news, he worked with me as a loader in the council. I thought the world of him. He was a great boy and we kept in touch after he left, always a smile on his face, he will be missed.

We could continue with the many stories and happy memories we all have of Dave, which we will treasure forever and we hope that all here today especially his many mates will do the same. We take great solace in the fact that although his life has been so tragically cut short, he packed so much into it.

Many people will get their three score and ten, yet not have had the experiences, joy, laughter and fun that was packed into Dave’s short but sweet life.

Dave knew he was fortunate to be born into a large loving family where he was well provided for, he was always willing to befriend and help those less fortunate than himself and that is why he had promised to help Alex with some clothing donations to Barnardo’s….note not financially as Dave was always skint, hence the collection today. I would say to any of you young ones who have wardrobes and cupboards full of clothes that will never be worn again and you want to give a donation….see Alex Connel later and she will see that they go to a great cause in helping kids and young adults more in need than ourselves.

Just a few words on a personal note from his Uncle.
Despite the best efforts of Dave's Father to get him to follow his local team Caley Thistle, (believe that if you will) he chose to follow Kilmarnock and was very fortunate to see them win the Scottish Cup Final in May 1997 where we had a fantastic day with other members of the family. Again Dave, John and I were there in March, 2012 when Kilmarnock won the League Cup. These happy memories will live forever in my heart and I am delighted I got to share them with Dave. Dave lived for the moment, packing a lifetime into his 25 years.

Rest In Peace Dave.