David Scott Schoenberg was born 1/23/64 in Saitama, JAPAN while his father was serving as an Air Force dental officer. Dave was the first of four children–his sister, Leah, was also born in Japan (1965). Matthew (1967) was born in Putnam County (NY) and finally Samantha (1971). He never got to know his two older twin sisters Patti and Pam from the Midwest. Dave was a bright kid who was active in Boy Scouts (Troop #1, Mahopac, NY), attaining the top rank of Eagle Scout. The high point of his scout career involved a trip to Philmont, the National Scout Ranch in NM. Tho, in later years he made light of the scouting part of his life, the experience helped instill some of his good qualities and started a lifelong enjoyment of camping.
He was a laid back, easy going kind of person with a zany and irreverent sense of humor, unimpressed by the material trappings of life. It’s not surprising his favorite movie was “Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail”. He graduated from Bucknell University (1986) with a degree in music, but rarely mentioned this to people. He eventually worked as an audio-visual sound engineer at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC, later transferring to the Grand Hyatt Regency where he worked until his illness. His special interest in sound recording spurred him to open a small private studio in New Rochelle with a friend.
He loved music in every form and had performed in his high school jazz band, concert band and marching band–playing the alto saxophone; and was also part of a number of small groups who performed from time to time (he played the guitar as well). He was proud of his Selmer Mark VI saxophone and was nicknamed Selmer for a while. Dave made friends wherever he went and his friendships truly lasted.
Dave was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in October 1998–and he accepted every known chemotherapy protocol without complaint. Within three weeks of his death, he still hoped to put on some pounds to qualify for more chemo. His courage was truly stunning. There are no words to describe what words can’t describe–Dave was just a very nice person, a wonderful family member and a great friend. His siblings, mother, dad, stepmother and friends were with him at the end; he died peacefully after announcing, “It was time to go”!! The funeral home was overflowing with friends and love.
