My name is Ray, I'm David's nephew. David and I made a lot memories together. Today I want to share some of them with you.
In 1983 or 84 David and a few of his ETRON breakers crew stayed up at the ranch where I lived. That night we all camped out in the family room. Richard Sanchez and Marcos Martinez were among the few. David had to come up with a game in order to get us to sleep because we wouldn't stop giggling and talking. He said that the next person to talk was Tino Cantu's toe jam.
That was David, he'd make a game out of anything and was fun to be around. His humor was like no one else I know. He was always out to entertain those around him. When I was a kid and there was a family gathering at my Grandmothers for the holidays I always hung out with David in his room, a lot of us did. He was fun and usually clowning around.
In 1993 I worked with David for Steve Sorina. After a hard days work we stopped at a corner store for some beverages. This was when he had the red Isuzu pickup. Billy Marquez was with us in the back seat. Dave decided to stay there and enjoy his beverage. Billy and I begged him to take us home. This would be something that he would continue to do to many of us over the years. He called it keeping us hostage. David came up with a trivia question that if guessed correctly he would take us home. The question was , "Jeremiah was a what?" Billy yells out ,"A BULLFROG, John Mellencamp". He took us home. Billy passed away some years back so that memory is mine alone now.
In 1999 Dave and I went to see the movie The Blair Witch Project. It got us a little spooked. Dave had this idea to walk out into the fields close to his home in Goshen. Someone else was with us though I can't recall. Dave took a different row from mine and when we got out to the middle he disappears. After calling to him he pops out wearing a mask. That was him a prankster, a comedian, who loved to play games.
It seems he was always having fun and entertaining people. He loved to cook for others too, but if you weren't paying attention he would drench your food in hot sauce. Dave was always saying something hilarious like when we were talking about Audrey having kung fu babies, or when he asked Damien why he was on t.v. saying, "Your in good hands with all state."
He loved his music no matter the genre. Once in 2007 or 08 he had his truck windows up and was blasting Timbalands song Apologize. Kyle was in the back seat, all three of us singing at the top of our lungs. You had to be there to appreciate it. David loved old school and would demonstrate his ability to pop thirty years after ETRON. He had one protege my cousin Chai.
David always had ideas for activities and sports, like raquetball and flag football. We played tackle football in the river at Reedley beach, but someone kept pelting me with sand. He bought a ping pong table and had no room for it anywhere so he set it up in the front lawn. He'd also have us playing wiffle ball, grown men playing with younger kids and having a great time. He liked to swim too, If no pool was available we'd go to the river. One time at kelly's beach Chico, Lil Daniel, David and myself decided to get in the water. David made a big production out of doing so by taking some mock runs from the landing stopping at the edge. Finally he fell in and somehow broke his toe, and he let himself float downstream while face down as if he were unconscious. We were all busting up and he finally lifted his head gasping for some air and yells at us telling us now he knows we'd let him drown. That was Dave, clowning around making us laugh. long floor-length wears for girls
David had his ways of saying something but in his way. Like calling different people Jefferry or instead of saying a little bit he'd say a smidgen. If he didn't want to be bothered with a question he'd interrupt you with a loud sharp "Shut up!" his expressions were usually "great scott!" or "mylanta!" And anyways was bennyways. I dont why its just how he said it.
Dave had a serious side too. He cared for people. Had a big heart. Once during the xmas holiday season he had two dozen tamales he'd just bought. We were outside in the front as usual when he recognized someone walking by with their dog. After speaking with him for a minute Dave went inside and came out with one dozen of tamales and a plastic bag full of dog food. Apparently the guy was down on his luck. That was Dave too.
David lived his life his way and that was his choice. He helped bring the crazy out of me, where I could be fun and enjoy life too. Something I definitely am not on my own. Like when I challenged his dog Dodger to a fight, twice, lost both times. Or when I jumped into Jr.'s pool in the middle of winter. Then there is that one time I lost a bet on an NBA game and walked through Walmart dressed like a woman and waving LA Lakers banners. These things I would never have done if Dave wasn't involved. Between me and him we made a lot of memories, some shared by many, other ones I now carry alone.
Dave was always excited to see me after a period of absence or an 8 month vacation courtesy of Tulare County. Upon release I would go and find him and it was all hugs and smiles. I never understood why he'd be so excited to see me. Now I think that I was to him what he was to me. Dave was my best friend, and the world will never be the same now that he's gone. I am always gonna miss him.
Ray Mendoza