30 years ago February 1984, I virtually lost my best friend. I was home from school and it was President's day weekend. My best friend, we called him lovingly "Fatty", he went 280 and no fat on him!! We hadn't seen or talked in a few weeks so I talked him into going skiing. We went to Sundance and headed to Flathead, I was ahead of him and he was off my left side. We hit the bottom of the old trail to Flathead and I continued to the bottom of the chairlift. No Fatty! I waited 2-3 minutes and I guy came in looking for patrol!! I asked who is hurt!? I don't know this guy hit a tree and is messed up!! I asked, "is wearing a blue coat?" Yes! I immediately started back up the trail, at the time I was ski patrol for Brianhead. The closer I got the more I could see. Fatty had hit a patch of ice going around the corner and slid off trail into 2 quaking aspens. They were not wide enough for a man his stature to fit between them but he was laying on the other side of them at their base. I could see a cross branch about 5 feet from the snow line and could tell he had hit the branch with his head. He was breathing and still alive, I stabilized his head until the patrol got there and took over. They life flighted him off the mountain to the hospital. I met the helicopter in Provo. At that time, I lost my best friend, no he didn't die. He suffered great brain trauma and many broken bones including his skull. Fatty was a person that got up from everything! He cut off cast to play in the game Friday night or Saturday afternoon in college, he was not supposed to lay there. He lost his short term memory and the function of his left side, the trauma to his brain acted like a stroke. He has spent the last 30 years in care centers, I had to stop going to see him because he would become very violent when he couldn't leave with me....I lost my best friend! Worst yet he was to be married in the next month. He has a boy, now grown, I have never met him. My fault, I fear it would be greatly painful.
I take lots of pictures nowadays and go solo a lot. I take pictures because I have no pictures of him and I or himself at all when we were growing up together. His little brother keeps me updated on how he is doing. The last report was, he understood now his home is the care center and he has about 2-3 day short term memory. They pick him up for dinner and celebrations, but he knows when he needs to return. So I take pictures in hopes of someday being able to share my times with him.
I have not yet been able to convince myself that it will be alright to go see him. I would visit and we would talk about the times we had together but he couldn't remember the last time I visited him which had maybe been 3-7 days prior. He could remember up to the crash itself he would say "Hey remember the last day we went skiing?" and that is when things would go south and he couldn't understand why he couldn't go again and why I wouldn't take him.
David Whittaker, my best friend, we were supposed to grow old together and our boys were supposed to be best friends. We were supposed to ski, fish, and hunt till we died, together. I miss him often and think of him every day. I remember the day I got married and he showed up with our friends in a wheelchair. My best man couldn't stand beside me so I knelt and cried on his shoulder.
I take pictures of him!! I SOLO to remember him and how we were supposed to be together in that place at that time!
This is the last Christmas present, we started a tradition in high school, because we were broke, to get each other a small figure like "Grandpa Smurf" I gave him "Belly Up", I'm sure his mom didn't approve of it, but it was a smurf holding big mug of beer, we were wilder in those days. My wife asked me once, "Why do you keep that silly thing?" I told her, she now makes sure it is in its proper place after cleaning.
From his Brother Brian Whittaker;
Dave passed away peacefully around 1 am this morning. Thanks to everyone who has helped us. Dave lived in a rest home for many years trapped in a body and mind that would not let him live a normal life. His family has waited for the day when he could leave his broken body and injured brain behind and be free. After we made the decision to let him go, we all felt relief for him. Although we struggled at the thought of losing another loved one, we all felt like we were setting a caged bird free to finally spread its wings and feel the wind of freedom. His laugh and crazy stories will be missed. His mother has long awaited to hug and kiss her boy she once knew. I love you, brother! Always have, always will!
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"Whiskey"
Today heaven gained a great man. He is my father-in-law, but treated me as a son without hesitation and always made me feel welcomed. I will miss him greatly. He taught me many things in the short time I had with him. He was a great dad, granddad, and great-grandpa. The saddest part of the whole affair was Parker was not able to be there in the end. Jim gave it a great fight to hold on as long as he could but that damn cancer took over his body too fast, so he didn't make it until Parker returned. They were best friends before Parker left on his mission. Parker and he would go fishing or riding at least once a week before he left. He loved the mountains and traveled in them often, he made most of the trails in the West Uintah Mountains. He taught me how to clean my first deer and watched me patiently gut shoot the poor thing at 20 yards, He exclaimed "how the hell do you gut shoot a deer at that range" and then laughed. I was just happy to have shot a deer finally. He took me on many adventures and taught me things without ever saying he was. That was the kind of man he was, quiet and knowing. I remember one time he and I went fishing in my boat we were on Deer Creek and again he was teaching me without saying a whole lot of anything but quietly guiding me through holes he knew were hot. When all of a sudden he got hit hard and I had never seen him get excited about much but this brought him to whoops and hollers with the best of us. He landed a nice 4.5 lb. Brown, he said, "that is the nicest fish I have caught here and anywhere in a very long time". Yes, heaven gained a very good man today and I for one am glad he gave me part of his life and let me be part of his family. I will miss you greatly "Whiskey" and love you forever.
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