David Medaris
June 19, 1959 - October 18, 2016
Obituary
David Medaris, journalist, paddler, haiku master, lover of life, died at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at the age of 57. He leaves behind a galaxy of fortunate family and friends, including his co-conspirator of 29 years Michana Buchman; their son Alex Atterbury, daughter-in-law Meg Bohse, grandkids Leah and Gabe; mother Carol Medaris; father Gordon Medaris and his partner, Nancy Korda; sister, Susie Medaris her husband, James Gibson and their son Luis Medaris; sister Louisa Medaris, her husband Jason Walters, and their children Jack, Calvin and Samantha; sisters- and brother-in-law Sally, Teddy and Landis Buchman; and aunts Judy Wilson and Susan Harvey.
Born in Berkeley, California, David moved to Madison in grade school and graduated from West High, then UW-Madison with a degree in journalism. He began his career at a precocious 17 as a contributor to Isthmus, paused his writing to work at Balmer's Hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland, then returned to Isthmus as a writer, editor and curator of all things happening in Madison.
He was known for his generous smile, boundless curiosity, love of words (and hatred of adverbs), and passion for rock and roll. He loved people's stories and the history of things and places, and you would never find a better audience for your personal tale than David. He was a loyal friend.
The family would like to thank his family physician, Dr. William Schwab, his neurologist, Dr. Susanne Seeger, and his oncologist, the high-powered, well-showered Dr. Steven Howard, for all their years of TLC. If you'd like to make a donation in David's name, please consider the Nature Conservancy, or any group that advances the cause of peace and beauty on this small planet. A celebration of David's life will be held at a later date.
One of David's favorite meditations:
The refreshing moon of the Buddha
is traveling in the sky of utmost emptiness.
If the pond of the mind is still
The beautiful moon will reflect itself in it.
From Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:
When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
(Portrait of David by talented artists John Shimon and Julie Lindemann.)
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Rd
(608) 442-5002
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Memories
LG
Leslie Genszler
Other •
I will miss David's happy face and sharp wit. Seeing him was always a highlight of my day.
RH
Rebecca Hays
Other •
Bunny is off belay.
LM
Liz McBride
Other •
I'll always remember David's vitality at Isthmus, not to mention his incredible ability to write hundreds of Guide entries each week without a single typo. My heart goes out to Michana and family.
TK
Tom Kaufman
Other •
A wonderful man with kind heart and a curious mind. It was a privilege to know you. You will be sorely missed.
DB
Dave Benforado
Other •
Dear Medaris Family,
I had the good fortune of meeting and working with David forty years ago; we worked on the Regent Review together, West High School's student newspaper. Long before any of us knew who we were or what we wanted to do, David had "Future Journalist" written all over his forehead! He was fun to work with, always bubbling with new ideas and twists on this thing we call life. So sorry to hear of his passing, may peace be with you.
Dave Benforado
KR
Keith Lee Rupp
Other •
Dear Medaris family, I was shocked and saddened to stumble across this news of David's passing. I knew him at West High School where we both worked on the Regent Review and fell in love with the mission of journalism. He cared deeply about telling a good story clearly and the power of truth. Please accept my deepest sympathies and know that his loss is felt even by those of us who had not been in touch for many years.