Obituary of David Dever

David Andrew Dever, 83, a Darien resident for 52 years, passed away peacefully at home on October 8, 2025. "Whoever dies with the most tools wins" was more than just a motto for David — it was a way of life. A lifelong tinkerer and fixer, he found joy in restoring anything that could be mended, from engines to household gadgets long past their prime. Whether in his garage or his beloved barn in Maine, David was happiest with a wrench in hand and a project to work on. There was not a machine he couldn't coax back to life, including his beloved Sears Suburban 1950's blue tractor once owned by his father and now driven by his grandson. David possessed many skills that he learned from his father and lovingly passed on to his own children. Born on June 20, 1942, in Manhattan, NY, to the late Elizabeth Sanders and Andrew Joseph Dever Jr., David spent his early years in the city and attended Trinity School before the family moved to Huntington, NY. Since the age of eight, David spent most summers on Bremen Long Island in Maine with his family — a place that inspired his lifelong love of boating and sailing, a passion he proudly passed down to his children and grandchildren. He graduated from Huntington High School and later attended the New York Institute of Technology. David built a distinguished career in television and motion picture engineering, production, and sales. He began at Kleigel Brothers, Inc. in New York City, designing and selling studio lighting systems, before moving to Washington, D.C., to work for Berkey-Colortran, where he marketed and sold professional lighting equipment for television and film. Among his achievements while in Washington were providing production lighting for Lynda Bird Johnson's White House wedding and serving as lighting designer for the National Shakespeare Festival. It was during his years in Washington that David met the love of his life, Betty Anne Regan. After their marriage, David and Betty Anne lived in New York City with their beloved Great Dane, Heineken, before settling in Darien, CT, where they raised their children, Anne and David Jr., alongside a succession of loyal black lab mutts. Among friends who became like family, David was known for his warm and loving personality, quick wit, and love of laughter — always up for a good joke and ready to partake in holiday shenanigans. In New York and Darien, David continued his career at IVC as a Broadcast Sales Engineer, later joining Quantel, where he worked for more than 25 years. At Quantel, he held several leadership positions, including Vice President of Sales for the New England region and Vice President of Network Sales.Throughout his career, David was an active member of the Illuminating Engineering Society and the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), serving on the New York Board of Governors and the Technical Emmy Awards Committee. Beyond his professional accomplishments, David was deeply woven into the fabric of the Darien community. He was an early board member of The Depot Youth Center, remaining active long after his children had graduated — often found repairing, maintaining, or improving the building and grounds. He played a key role in the early days of the Darien Junior Sailing Program (DJSP), founded Darien's local television station, TV79, and served as Commodore of the Darien Boat Club. David was predeceased by his brother, John Dever, and his son-in-law, Kevin Cullinan. He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty Anne; cousin Maribeth Proshan, his daughter, Anne Cullinan; his son, David Jr. (Courtney); and five grandchildren: John, Regan, Ryan, Elyse, and Michael. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 22, at 1:00 pm at St. Luke's Church, Darien. In lieu of flowers, donations in David's memory may be made to At Home Darien, Post 53 or The Depot Youth Center.