David Elston Longstaff

It was the summer of ’53 when Dave arrived, he was the long-a-waited son that his mother, Bud had promised his father, George and new toy brother to his sisters, Lorraine and Pat. He started his journey in Hamilton, Ontario and came with his family to Victoria as a one year old to settle in Esquimalt. Dave attended Lampson Street School and was a ‘greaser’ at Esquimalt Secondary. He swam competitively and taught swimming at the Crystal Pool in the 60’s. He worked in New Westminster and ‘up north’ for a few years, before he met his first wife, Lynda on a trip with his mum and dad to Hawaii. They married a few years later and had 7 wonderful children. Locally, he worked for Taylor Lowbed Service moving everything that needed to be moved, drove a gravel truck for Nixon Brothers, hauled produce in his own long-haul truck until their oldest outgrew the sleeper. As the family grew, he took on the job of dispatcher for Grassick Transport. Then he crushed rock for E. Nixon Ltd before he went into his Mac Tools era.

Dave will be so missed by his big sister, Lorraine (Ron); wife, Stephanie and children, Steven (Erika), Jodie (Darryl), Jessica (Jesus), Nicole (Cameron), Aara (Lucas), Andrew (Kaitlan), Marty (Kailah), Jonathan, Casey (Nathan), and Lucas (Amanda). Grandchildren, Lily, Cristian, Karsyn, Bison, Adelyn, Hunter, and Sebastian, along with his dogs Chella, Daisy and Dozer.

He listened, he helped, sometimes he directed and sometimes he protected.  He was a great father, a wonderful brother, a strong provider and a hard worker.  He had grunt, as his father would say. Dave cared deeply about the people around him, and they knew it. He had broad shoulders and allowed many to borrow them. For the last decade, some used them for a few minutes every two weeks, but he did not begrudge it, he just did his best and kept on going, “making new friends”.

On the morning of Saturday January 4, 2020 he died quietly in his Metchosin home, only days after an oncologist confirmed the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Dave is predeceased by Lynda (Calnan), his mother and father, his sister Pat and many dogs and other pets.

Lynda had a caring and dependable husband and father to their children for almost 20 years with Dave. He worked hard and provided well for them, especially on the farm on Sooke Road. Her tragic death created a new man with a different outlook on life. One that Stephanie and all 10 of his children and his grand children got to benefit from for the next 25 years.

A Service and Celebration will be held at St. Mary of the Incarnation, 4125 Metchosin Road, on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 2:00 pm.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com