David Richard Decker, 72, passed away of metastatic prostate bone cancer on May 7, 2023, at his home with his loving wife and children by his side.
He was a building designer in St. Mary’s County for over 35 years. His enthusiasm and natural talent for creating and building gave him the opportunity to thrive in his field and thoroughly enjoy his profession. He constructed his paradise in the woods where he and his wife Sandy raised their children, lived and retired, ultimately providing him his hunting refuge and ensuring a warm welcoming place for family and friends to gather.
Dave was born on July 20, 1950 at DC General Hospital in Washington DC and grew up in Landover, MD where his father taught him respect for honesty and hard work, instilling also his love for woodworking. He graduated from Bladensburg High School in 1968 and promptly enlisted in the US Marines where he served 2 years in Vietnam. During his service he achieved the grade of Sergeant and was awarded National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, RVN Cross of Gallantry, and 2 Meritorious Mast awards. After receiving an honorable discharge, he worked for 10 years at Royce Distributors selling and servicing golf carts in Beltsville.
In 1980 he moved to St. Mary’s County and worked as a commercial truck mechanic at McKay’s Implements. The following year he procured a position as a computer-aided design drafter with Bendix, a US Navy contractor, where he produced shipboard designs at Webster Field; his rapid accomplishments there led to a government assignment at the US Naval Investigative Service in Suitland. Seeking to relocate his work closer to home, he used the drafting skills he had honed for the past decade, and joined Wildewood Builders where he became engrained in the design and construction of both residential and commercial buildings. Here he was instrumental in ensuring the completion of Wildewood Shopping Center, Expedition and Exploration commercial buildings.
For the next 20 years he was truly in his niche as a building designer; during this time he moved on to Colony Builders where one of his most proud accomplishments was the historic redesign and construction of Blackistone Island lighthouse. Before he retired, he created an LLC where he continued to produce new home designs, meeting with couples and individuals to complete all levels of home drawings. He often said in his home business he honed his “marriage counselor skills” as he called on his acute listening ability to guide each couple to agree on what they wanted in a home before he could recommend and draft their plans.
In the early days of his home design career, he located and purchased 7 acres, then planned and constructed a small home in Callaway. He ultimately timbered enough trees from the property, bought a portable saw mill to cut the wood, and designed and built his dream home in Mechanicsville on 30 acres. This had been his haven for the past 34 years, as he built dozens of tree stands and a 12 foot high tower overlooking the activity of the variety of woodland creatures. He was also engrained in a conservation stewardship program following state DNR guidelines to ensure preservation of wildlife habitats. These efforts helped him enjoy hiking and hunting (turkey and deer) which had been a conscientious endeavor for him since his youth.
Dave will be remembered most for his giving nature, as he volunteered plans and physical assistance for dozens of friends and family with ingenious designs of home upgrades increasing the aesthetics, functionality and values of their homes. He loved a well-constructed finished project and shared his knowledge with enthusiasm genuinely interested in instilling self-reliance in these skills to others. He also mentored the next generation in understanding, appreciation and respect for the woodland creatures and their habitats.
His legacy is measured in material beauty, but also quite immaterial. Dave used his time to construct furniture, shape luxury hardwoods into gun stocks, and custom weld hunting stands. A lifetime of projects from a mind that could imagine a finished piece, deconstruct it into its components, order materials, and then build without waste. The beautiful woodwork that remains tells a fraction of the story of someone also enthralled with geology and biology; at home reading war novels or an issue of Scientific American. Dave could talk about life’s hardship while stressing the importance of finding fun in everything: declare the importance of kicking ass while practicing an otherworldly patience. He lives on universally respected, adored, and remembered for his keen-ness and kindness.
Dave was predeceased by his mother, Florene Irene Decker and father Irwin George Decker. He is survived by his loving wife of 42 years, Sandra Lynn Decker, children Christine Marie Candela (Pete) of Longwood, FL, Victoria Lynn Decker of Port Republic, MD, Lauretta Jean Shertzer (Mark) of New Smyrna, FL, Linda Francis Decker of New Rochelle, NY, Rebecca Irene
Decker (Terry) of Springfield, VA, Douglas Edward Decker (Erin) of Escondido, CA, his brother Edward Robert Decker (Diane), sisters in law Lana Jeanne Williams (Jerry), Melanie Ann Richardson (Mike), six grandchildren and twelve nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Prostate Cancer Research https://www.pcf.org/ or Hospice of St. Mary’s.
Service of military honors will be held at Cheltenham Veteran’s Cemetery 11301 Crain Hwy, Cheltenham, MD on June 16 at 11:15am with family and friend life celebration gathering to follow.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.