Death Notice for DAVID BRICE DONALD, 91 of Nassau, NP, Bahamas, passed away on Monday, December 18, 2023 at his home in Camperdown.
Dave was born on November 7, 1932 in Toronto Canada to the late John McKay Donald and Helen Brice Donald. He moved to Nassau as a child and was educated at Queen’s College in Nassau and St. Andrew’s College in Canada. After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1955 with a degree in Industrial Engineering, he married his sweetheart Frances Holland of Atlanta.
His engineering career began at J&L. Steel in Cleveland, Ohio. Soon thereafter the US Army draft sent the newlyweds to postwar Germany for several years. After a few years in Savannah, GA working for Union Bag, Dave returned to Nassau for good in 1962 to help run the family business, Nassau Ready Mixed Concrete. In 1972 he purchased Island Industries, where he worked building Butler steel buildings until his retirement in 2010. Dave was also an original founder of Bahamas Waste Management along with his business partner and brother-in-law Peter Andrews.
Dave was a lifelong member of St. Andrew’s Kirk, a Rotarian and a Commodore of the Royal Nassau Sailing Club. He was an avid tennis player, sailor, boater, snow skier and world traveler. Favorite destinations were Europe (especially France), Colorado, and anywhere a cruise ship could take them, including China, South America and the Panama Canal. Dave and Fran particularly loved going back to Georgia, where a stop at the Varsity in Atlanta was required on their travels to their river house in Hiawassee.
Some of his unique hobbies were building elaborate model trains and genealogy, through which he traced his Bahamian roots as far back as 1800 until the trail dried up. The eternal optimist was challenged at times but remained passionate about his sports teams, the Atlanta Falcons, Braves and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (what’s the good word?) He adored his four children, grandchildren, many friends, Dalmations, Dobermans, Jack Russell terriers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and especially his beloved wife Fran.
Dave will be remembered as a gentle and kind man whose generous nature and sense of humour made him “always a pleasure” to be around.
Those left to cherish his memory are his three children, Laurie Dalton (Tom) of Concord, NC; Nancy Goldstein (Phil) of Atlanta, GA; and Mike Donald (Kim) of Nassau; eleven grandchildren Ryan Dalton (Andrea), Kerry Dalton, Scan Donald (Courtney), Eric Goldstein (Cait), Hadley Rexroth, Michael Dalton, Nick Goldstein, Shelby Rexroth, Maggie Dalton, Johnny Donald and Katie Donald, and one great grandson Maxson Donald. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Peter Andrews (Vicky), and his nieces and nephews Cathy, Phil, Geoff, Caroline, Sally and Anne. He was preceded in death by his wife Frances, parents, sister Susan Andrews, son Jack and daughter-in-law Susan.
Dave’s remains will be privately laid to rest in the columbarium at St. Andrews Kirk. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to The National Trust or the Cancer Society.
