Dave Weckwerth joined our team less than 18 months ago. He came to us from the northeastern U.S. and had quite a story, one you can hear him tell in his own words here. Ultimately, cancer took Dave from this world in August.
I certainly appreciated Dave while he was here and wanted to meet his wife and kids, so I attended his celebration of life at Cedar Valley Church in Cedar Falls on Sept. 13. I didn’t anticipate a large crowd as Dave had only lived in Iowa for less than two years, so the least I could do was show up to represent all those who had only crossed paths with Dave in his time here.
Well, I was in a large crowd on Sept. 13. Some were Dave’s neighbors, some friends from church, some members of a men’s group Dave had taken part in, and others that met Dave along the way. There were also some who had traveled for the celebration, but not nearly as many as those who were local. It was powerful to see the relationships that he had built so quickly.
As the service was concluding, the pastor asked if anyone had anything to share about Dave. There were many from Dave’s past who spoke, and some from the present. Some of the stories were funny, some uplifting, and some from down memory lane. After many, one man said it best: “Dave was contagious.”
It was nearly impossible to meet Dave and then not come to know him and like him. That’s who Dave was. Dave was contagious in his community and in our company for the relatively short time he was with us in Iowa and at Story Construction. We are better off for knowing him and the impact he made on us as individuals, on our processes, and in our company. His contagion was fueled by his perspective, his outlook, his optimism, and his gratitude. These days, we could all only be so lucky to catch some of that from him.
Thanks, Dave. We won’t forget it.
Mike Espeset
CEO