Big Dave

Talk about anything that you would like.
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R.A.B.
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Big Dave

Post by R.A.B. »

For those of you who knew him, Big Dave left us last night. He died in hospital from complications that began three years ago. Just turned 55 on January 1st and was a most gentle intuitive giant of a guy providing that you didn't piss him off. He hated dishonest, boisterous people and could spot them a mile away. For the most part he kept to himself unless he felt that he had to defend someone who was weaker than him.

We became friends about 15 years ago after I read an ad on the U.S. Mr. Pinball classified. This guy called David in Montreal North was looking for a cashbox for a Surf Champ he bought from Az. I remember telling him that there were lots of cashboxes in Montreal and we became friends. We worked together in my various shops, often on the road doing home service and at North Star Saturday morning line up checks. He was a great apprentice, learned quickly and listened attentively.

Gonna miss him. I always hoped that he would get better enough to come and fix pinballs with me at my shop once again, but that is not going to happen.

There are lots of memories of Big Dave moments thanks to MAACA, MPL meetings and our many weekly gatherings on Pitt street (2011-2015). Look them up and feel free to share any of your Big Dave memories here if you have some.

Thanks.

Rab
Big Dave in Napewrville.jpg
Big Dave on Pitt Street.jpg
Big Dave on Pitt Street.jpg (44.16 KiB) Viewed 1423 times
Louis-Daniel at 10 with Big Dave in the Crane building workshop
Louis-Daniel at 10 with Big Dave in the Crane building workshop
Louis & Big Dave.jpg (61.44 KiB) Viewed 1374 times
Last edited by R.A.B. on Wed Jan 19, 2022 8:58 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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Re: Big Dave

Post by redketchup »

Mes sympathies Robert, je me rappelle très bien de Big Dave sur la rue Pitt
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Re: Big Dave

Post by andre »

Robert
Sorry for the loss of your friend. Keep the best memories of Dave.I remember teaming up with this giant at Paidge's meeting.
Take care.

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Re: Big Dave

Post by Mindstorm88 »

This is so sad !! Mes sympathies Bro . Un si bon jack !!

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Re: Big Dave

Post by Chris Silver »

Dave was an awesome man in more ways than one. I didn’t meet him often, but when I did he was always good company. I’m very sorry to hear Robert. My sincerest condolences.
Pins: Spirit, Centaur II, Af-Tor, Avatar, Embryon, Timeline, Baby Pac Man, SkyJump, Night Moves, Split Second
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Re: Big Dave

Post by Mrhide »

Ah man :( rest in peace Big Dave et Mes sincères sympathies
LF: GrooveCoaster Machine, shmups or any PCB, specifically Namco System 1 (Pacmania), let me know what you have!

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Re: Big Dave

Post by Steph »

Holy cow... how tall was Big Dave ?

Assuming Rab is 5'10" (...which I am only speculating...) , that would make Big Dave about 7'4" on the picture.

I never met the man, but 55 is way too young to say goodbye.

Sympathies to the family and friends.

Stephan
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Re: Big Dave

Post by sylvain »

So sorry to hear.
Mes sincères condoléances

-Sylvain.
Looking for Bally Star-Jet, The Wiggler, Williams Magic City, Grand Lizard, Swords of Fury, 1986 Pinstar Gamatron, and a few others.
Collecting & repairing electro-mechanical and solid state pinball machines with quality and care for 40+ years already.
Serious and fun hobby, powerful nostalgia !

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Fifty
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Re: Big Dave

Post by Fifty »

Rest in peace. I don't think I ever met Big Dave, but the name seems to suit him. I'm sorry for your loss.

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Re: Big Dave

Post by mad »

sincères sympathies Robert pour ton ami Dave.
je me souviens de lui quand je suis allé à un meeting sur la rue Pitt ,il se tenait devant la porte en me regardant avec son sourire ,il était impressionnant ,
amical et un chic type .

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Re: Big Dave

Post by targetlaf »

Mes sympathies Robert
Paragon, Evel knievel,Xenon , Cleopatra (em), Barracora, Fathom (project) Cab. Taito/Qix , Defender cocktail and rock ola jukebox




Gone: Arena, Nugent, Pharaoh, Freefall, Catacomb, Flight 2000, Embryon, PIN-BOT, Disco Fever, Time Warp, Flash Gordon, Vulcan, Hit The Deck, Elvira, Spectrum, Amazing Spiderman, Circus, Pink Panther, Night Rider, Old Chicago, Target Alpha, Big Hit, Card Whiz, Blackout, Cue ball Wizard, Space invaders,Andromeda, Devil's Dare,Black knight, Centigrade 37, Asteroid annie and the aliens, El Dorado,Surfer

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Re: Big Dave

Post by GILV »

Mes sympathie Robert pour Big Dave.

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Re: Big Dave

Post by mdeslaur »

Mes sympathies Robert

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Re: Big Dave

Post by HPR Pinball »

Oui un gentil geant, j'ai eu peur qu'il me mange comme un beignet quand je l'ai vu la première fois !! Toutes mes sympathies Rob 😔😔
The video game i want to play is always the one i don't have :FP:
Les arcades, j'suis tombé d'dans quand j'tait pti !! :-)

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Re: Big Dave

Post by uncleboo »

Hey Rob

Sorry to hear my friend .
Met him a few times moving pins with you at your old place on Pitt Street
Rest In Peace Big Dave
Pins
EBD 1st Edition ,Volley

http://www.pinballowners.com/uncleboo

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Re: Big Dave

Post by JamesSchid »

R.I.P. Big Dave. A sweet guy, if he liked you, otherwise he'd have your brains for lunch.

His last 3 years were living in hell, and all I could really do to help was listen to him on the phone. Like those people who can describe what happened in a particular hockey or football game, he could describe in detail how to make certain shots on particular game to get the big points. He was a helluva pinball player. He'd relate about how he would rack up the credits on a single quarter then sell the rest to friends for cheaper. And there was that time he played a machine so long and hard that the flipper coils burnt out.

We lost another good one, folks.

Here's my photo of Big Dave, R.A.B. and pindude152 when we were working on Jacks Open and Wiggler in the original North Star shop, March 2016...
Attachments
working in the North Star shop 2cr-sm.jpg

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Re: Big Dave

Post by Mrhide »

Dave-o-Vision des soirées de la rue pitt:

IMG_8146@832ead414ad5432d9311b5c72a2414b4.JPG
LF: GrooveCoaster Machine, shmups or any PCB, specifically Namco System 1 (Pacmania), let me know what you have!

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Re: Big Dave

Post by YellowMustard »

oh! tellement desole d apprendre cette nouvelle! Sinceres condoleances a toi Robert et a la famille de Dave.
je vois que tu as poste une photo lors de notre rencontre maaca chez nous...pour la abracadabra de ketchup si je me souviens bien...
RIP Big Dave :cry:
Pins:SpaceStation, :FP: :FP: :FP:

gone but not forgotten: EFTLW, Secret Service, Gorgar, Elektra, Medusa, CENTAUR, FIREPOWER, ANDROMEDA(2), HS II The getaway, BSD(2), THE SHADOW, SPACE SHUTTLE, SM, X-MEN (shakered), GRAND PRIX (Italian reimport), Tales From The crypt, BSD(2), Nitro Ground Shaker, Harlem Globetrotters, INDY500, THE SHADOW (2), Twilightzone, RESCUE 911, Stern Playboy, BOP, Roadshow, highspeed, DrWho, Starwars DE


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Re: Big Dave

Post by TwilightZone »

Sorry for your loss, Robert.
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Re: Big Dave

Post by Toeckeder »

So sad, RIP unforgettable Big Dave.
Pins: HIGH SPEED, GUNS N ROSES, FIREPOWER, SORCERER, LASER WAR, FATHOM, NOW, BLACKOUT, ALIEN POKER, LASER BALL, TOMMY, FIREPOWER II, BALLY PLAYBOY, RUSH LE, RIVERBOAT GAMBLER
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Re: Big Dave

Post by Sly »

Triste nouvelle. Vraiment...
Elektra Bally: Prepare for the Gamma Dimension! !!!
Last Action Hero Data East: To be, or not to be. Not to be !!!
Rollergames Williams: Go for the wall !!!
Big guns Williams: She's mine now! Ah ha ha ha !!!
TRON Stern: The grid, a digital frontier !!!
Baby Pacman Bally: Waka Waka Waka !!!
Stargate Gottlieb: Shoot the pyramide !!!

The best game is ALWAYS the one you dont have.

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Re: Big Dave

Post by mbudman »

Big Dave was such a kind soul. I had the pleasure of meeting him and he was even at my home a few time. Such a nice guy. Someone who left us way too early,

Please extend my condolences to the family.

R.I.P. Big Dave.

Mark

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Re: Big Dave

Post by WARLOCK »

Big Dave, you will be missed. I miss you very much.
Dave was a great guy and I liked him intensely.
He was a great player and became a good fixer.
He was kind, memorable and so amazing to Louis-Daniel.

I last saw Dave with R.A.B. at the end of Sept. last fall.
He was dealing with a poorly dealt hand as best he could.
Dave's brother Frank and his Mom came out and said hello.
We ate fresh blackberries in the garage from the back yard that day.

My deepest condolences to Dave's family and friends.
You will be remembered fondly and always be with us.

All the very best while resting in that next place Dave.
Cheers, Salut my friend. You are wonderfully unforgettable.

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R.A.B.
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Re: Big Dave

Post by R.A.B. »

Beautifully expressed Scott, thank you so much for your words. Et merci aussi a tout les amis et membres sur MAACA pour leur pensées et paroles. La famille de Big Dave vous en ai reconnaissant. J'etait avec eu ce matin au salon avant d'aller chez Alouette. Excuser moi les gars mais je m'exprime mieux en anglais quand ca vient a mes emotions Oui, je sais, je sais, - c'est une contradiction des cultures, je suis fait a l'envers.

In English now -

Dave's brother Frank who called me with the inevitable news on Sunday was especially touched by this thread after reading your posts. I wanted to pass that on and extend his thanks to this community for acknowledging his older brother's participation and influence on the scene.

OK.

So one more story, and a couple more pictures before letting my friend go.


From the Maaca Daily News, November 6th, 2011

Worked on Target Alpha with Big Dave for a client today. Big Dave is helping out in more ways than he is aware of by keeping me on track and calling on me to follow the repair procedures we outlined many moons ago. He keeps throwing my past lessons back at me the bastard.

My distraction gauge is off the chart these days, mostly due to so much going on elsewhere than in my coin operated activities and career. Hence, the wisest words of the day came from Big Dave near the end of the day as he sat down in the comfy chair with his feet up on the service bay's evalvated platform, - "Rob, don't be an idiot, you can't win them all."



He was right ofcourse, but now I know that it is not about how many opportunities I miss, what matters is how many I catch. Thanks David for helping me be bigger within what I could achieve in this silly coin operated lifetime career of mine. You were a big help and will continue to be in the déroulement des projets à venir. Merci.
Second MPL meeting on Pitt street, 2012
Second MPL meeting on Pitt street, 2012
Big Dave inspecting the games before an MPL on Pitt street.JPG (77.81 KiB) Viewed 1041 times
October 30th, 2011
October 30th, 2011
Big Dave at the 1st MPL on Pitt street.jpg (51.58 KiB) Viewed 1041 times
http://www.montrealpinball.com
https://amusement.evolvo.com/

Bally 1936 "Bumper" - North Star 1949 "Sea Breeze" - North Star 1950 "Richelieu" - Universal 1950 "Feature Bell" - Gottlieb 1952 "Queen of Hearts" - Williams 1960 "Ten Spot" - Gottlieb 1971 "Challenger" - Williams 1973 "OXO" - Bally 1976 "Bonanza"

Maxed out at 10 machines, no more. Un max de 10 machines, pas plus.
Une règle suivi guéri de tout. A rule respected can cure anything.

A philosophy of doing shall rule until the days when I can no longer "do" arrive. Because when I am too old to adjust an AX relay or relieve a woman friend from sighing, there will only be memories to fill my time. So, the task at hand is to build that RRSP of memories in order to joyfully cushion the later stages of life.

Personally prefer the exceptional qualities lurking beneath any normal state of affairs. Alas, our day to day is being promoted as extraordinary via a world wide web largely fueled by the new dumb & followed closely by the latest breed of unscrupulous scoundrels & judas goats. So, god bless the fool hearted, the crazed, and the railroaded all in good measure for they will likely inherit what is left of the earth after the screwheads are done with it. God damn darwinian primates, why do they refuse to evolve, even after all we should have learned from being dumb savages for so long.

"I try my best to be just like I am, but everybody wants you, to be just like them. " - Zimmy

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Re: Big Dave

Post by WARLOCK »

I miss Dave today.
RAB texted me today.
I was too busy to respond.
That really isn't ok all all tho.

I will remedy that tomorrow.
It is really all about us together.

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