Friends and family are remembering David Kappel and sharing this remembrance with his community:
David William Kappel died on October 4 at the age of 65. He was much too young to die. He had suffered a massive stroke about a week before, and was also dealing with muscular dystrophy and complications of diabetes.
Before being hospitalized, Dave had lived in West Seattle for more than 30 years and especially loved Lincoln Park.
David was born in Detroit and raised in suburban Oak Park. He graduated from Michigan State University and was a lifelong fan of Michigan State sports. One of his most thrilling memories was attending MSU Spartans basketball games when soon-to-be superstar Magic Johnson was playing.
Dave also had a lifelong love of animals. As a child, he rescued an injured baby robin, whom he named Peter, and nursed him back to health. He said he was almost sure Peter revisited him each spring for several years. He also was best friends withh his family’s lively, rambunctious dog, Snoopy. As an adult, he adored his smart, affectionate conure parrots: Pickle, Verdi, and Danny. The first two passed away, but Danny is thriving and is right by my side. As Dave was taken away to the ambulance, he asked about Danny.
I had the pleasure of visiting numerous national parks with Dave – Yellowstone, Mt. Rainier, Grand Tetons, Olympic, Redwood, and many others. Another highlight was driving up the California coast, including Big Sur.
Astronomy was another favorite pastime. Despite the light pollution in Seattle, he was able to point out many constellations and spotted dozens of meteors over the years.
We appreciate the care he received at Swedish Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a small donation to the American Bird Conservancy, World Parrot Trust, BirdLife International, Earthjustice, or any related animal/environmental organization. More importantly, please vote. That would be his final wish.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries and memorial announcements by request, free of charge. Please email the text, and a photo if available, to we*************@***il.com)
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