A full house of well-wishers (family and friends) thronged Owen Hall on August 15 to celebrate the life of David Ilvedson. It was a joyous occasion, a party with good music and good food and good vibes, which Morning Nichols said was just as David had wanted it to be. Below is David's obituary, originally published here on Pacifica Riptide and in the Pacifica Tribune:
"David Ilvedson passed away July 10, 2010 at his home in Pacifica,
where he had resided for 24 years. David was born in Minot, North Dakota on
March 9, 1950, the fourth and youngest child of District Court Judge Roy
Ilvedson and Helen Ilvedson née Hovda. In his senior year of high school, 1968,
David was the North Dakota state wrestling champion in the class A, 127-pound
weight class, a feat his proud family never let him forget. After attending
college at Minot State and Grand Forks, North Dakota, David answered his true calling and
attended Iowa Tech, where he learned piano tuning and repair. After immigrating
to San Francisco in the early 1970s, David began tuning pianos and formed
his own business. He was a Registered Piano Technician and a longtime member of
the Piano Technicians’ Guild, serving a term as president of the local
chapter. Early in his career, David toured as a piano tuner with three rock
bands: Electric Light Orchestra, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and more extensively
Billy Joel, with whom he literally toured the world. David had prestigious
clients during his career, including the San Francisco Ballet, Stanford
University, plus many celebrities as private clients. During their heyday, he
tuned regularly for the Fairmont Hotel’s famed Venetian Room and the famous
Keystone Corner jazz club in San Francisco. When David’s daughter Dana was born, he embraced the role of
fatherhood. He was part of the Cabrillo School restructured program from the
beginning, heading up the music program as a volunteer for six years. David
took Orff music classes to better teach the students and at one time served on
the Northern California Orff-Schulwerk Board of Directors. He was also a
popular Orff music teacher at the Spindrift School of Performing Arts in
Pacifica. David continued his volunteerism at his favorite charity, Pacifica
Performances, at Mildred Owen Hall (formerly Sanchez Concert Hall), serving
on the board of directors and acting as board chair for a term. The best thing
he could offer Pacifica Performances was his professional talent, and he tuned
and cared for the grand pianos at the hall pro bono for more than 10 years. He
loved to play piano and had a beautiful singing voice. He and his “MOjazz”
bandmates rehearsed regularly in the hall and were considered the house band,
a title he loved. David is survived by his wife of 28 years, Kathryn, his daughter
Dana, and his two brothers Dr. Ron Ilvedson of Minnesota and Duane Ilvedson of
North Dakota, all of whom were with him when he died. He is also survived by
his aunt Margaret Somers; father-in-law Gerald Myers; brothers-in-law Paul
Wilke, Van Myers, David Myers, Jim Price, and Ray Duncan; and sisters-in-law Bobbi
Ilvedson, Gail Ilvedson, Susan Price, Shanon Myers, and Ann Duncan. His parents
and beloved sister Corinne passed away before him. His other survivors include
nieces Chelle Ullom, Maren Ilvedson, Karen Ilvedson, Denise Haley,
Kimberly Hong, and their families; and nephews Erik Wilke, Mark Ilvedson, Scott
Ilvedson, Jay Price, Evan Myers, and their families; many grandnieces, grandnephews, and cousins; and many wonderful friends. A celebration of David’s life will be held on Sunday, August 15,
2010 at 4:00 p.m. at Mildred Owen Hall, 1220 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica. If you
knew David in any capacity, as a piano tuning client, fellow volunteer,
musician, and especially as a friend, please join us for music, food, drink, and
fond memories. Call 650-355-1882 or write info@pacificaperformances.org for
more information. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in David's
memory be made to Pacifica Performances, 1220-A Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica, CA
94044, a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) corporation."
Recent Comments