FITCHBURG - Dave Barrette, age 56, passed away quickly and unexpectedly on January 20, 2023, after battling an acute form of cancer (AML) in Madison, Wis.

Dave was born on November 11, 1966, in St. Paul, Min. to Jeffery (of Arizona) and Diane Barrette (preceding Dave in death). The family of three settled in Stillwater, Min.

At a young age, Dave developed a passion for all things two-wheeled, including motocross. Some of Dave’s fondest memories were spent with pro-mechanic “Pa,” who communicated with him white-board style at course edge on race-day. Dave loved nothing more than disassembling his bike after each & every race, partially due to the hilarious antics of shared garage time with Dad & Uncle Patrick.

Dave completed his education with a degree in Industrial Design at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It was there where he met and married Kerstin.

Rarely will you enter any retail environment without seeing something Dave touched, nor would Dave or Kerstin ever enter any store as a “typical” shopper. The duo’s dance of timing, strategic blocking and clever distraction for documenting on-shelf packaging & performing visual audits was safe enough to elude even the most advanced of security camera systems.

There were many accolades for design over Dave’s career, including patents. Dave loved opportunities to apply his expertise within multi-disciplinary teams, so it was especially fitting for his most recent contributions to be at Woodland Tools. It was there that Dave developed a meaningful and unique visual language reflective of the brand, implementing multiple touchpoints, and creating strategies to carry it into the future.

Dave loved the smell of a good hardware store, enjoyed mountain biking and hiking with Kerstin, and loved butterfly identification and species counts. Dave’s passions were all things vintage, from his 1940s necktie collection to his love of Bontrager bikes - for which he was known as an expert by many in the bike community world-wide. He freely shared his knowledge and time with a wide group of friends. For over 20 years, Dave would secure a vendor table at Madison’s annual bike swap, a favorite event of his, that some refer to as “Better than Christmas.”

Dave’s Jack Russell Terrier “Gromit” excelled in agility, entering competitions nationwide. As Dave would often state, “I need to understand how to speak dog.” At his very first agility event, he was observed in a very noble and overly ambitious attempt to cross the finish line - resulting in a dramatic grass slide - all to the dog’s amusement. Dave was also famous for an unexpected wardrobe malfunction in the middle of a flyball tournament. But even ripped pants didn’t stop Dave from finishing the relay with his team.

A private viewing is scheduled at the Gunderson Funeral Home on Monday February 6. In lieu of cards or flowers a donation to help cover the medical bills would be appreciated.

https://gofund.me/f4104c8f

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Rd.
(608) 442-5002

David Wayne Barrette

November 11, 1966 - January 20, 2023

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