This hurts. A lot.
In the NJ/Philly area we are like a family - a bunch of grizzled veteran teams who play with and against each other at event after event. We laugh, we yell at each other, we cry together. You get used to seeing the same faces year after year. To me, there is a comfort in showing up at an event and seeing the Larkins, the Larocks, the Kressleys, the Becks. The game may change, the venue may change, but you always know you're at a Philadelphia-area competition when you see those same smiles that have been there for a decade.
I will remember Dave most for the way he carried himself. If you've ever seen me at an event you know that I'm a fiery competitor, sometimes to a fault. Dave was just as competitive, yet he was always composed and mindful of the true purpose of FIRST. On several occasions he recognized when I was getting frustrated and came over and he would just talk to me. To lighten the mood. Remind me to smile. Remind me that, win or lose, being at a FIRST competition sure beats being at work
I could also go on and on about how Dave and Cathy have helped Team 341 over the years, of course. Theirs is a team that we have striven to emulate for a long time.
My deepest sympathies for Cathy, Cassie, and all of Team 103.