David "Big Dave" Iribarne
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David Curtis Iribarne (“Big Dave”) passed away peacefully on September 20, 2020 at the age of 47. After suffering a long illness, David contracted Covid-19, which ultimately took his life. His final hours were spent with his brother, Matthew Iribarne, and sister, Nancy Gervais, by his side.
David was a Sacramento native, born and bred. He attended Caleb Greenwood School, Sutter Middle School, Sacramento High School and ultimately Sacramento State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
Besides his family and friends, David’s great loves were basketball, music and poetry. He played basketball for Sacramento High School and went on to coach various youth basketball teams. At 6’5” David was a force on the court, but also a true teammate - encouraging, supportive, and always playing his hardest and best. He also loved watching NBA basketball. He and his dad, Paul Iribarne, watched countless games together, reciting stats and offering opinions on players and teams to each other. He was a life-long 76ers fan and especially loved Allen Iverson. He attended Sacramento Kings games over the years, but he most enjoyed being able to see them play the 76ers, defiantly cheering on his beloved Sixers.
His taste in music was wide and varied and he always had music playing. You could often hear David driving up to your place, long before you saw him, his latest favorite music blaring through the car windows. Among his favorites were The Thompson Twins, Pearl Jam and Nas. He also relished seeing live music performances, including his friends’ local groups Mr. P Chill and the Soft Offs.
David wrote poetry for many years and was a beloved member of the Sacramento poetry community. He attended a weekly writing group, who became like family to him. They encouraged him, inspired him, motivated him, and just plain loved him. He loved them back. David published poems in several poetry anthologies, such as Poetry Now, Tule Review, Sussurus, Catchword, Medusa’s Kitchen, Primal Urge, WTF?!, Monterey Poetry Review, Munyori Literary Journal and Coalesce Magazine. He often read his work at poetry readings at Luna’s Café, Shine Café, Hot Poetry in the Park and the Sacramento Poetry Center, among other venues. Tom Miner, retired English professor at Sacramento City College, described David as “one of Sacramento’s most imaginative writers,” writing “poems that spoke directly from the heart.” In 2014, his book of poems, “Bones, Skin & Soul” was published. His dear friend and fellow poet, Laura Martin, described David as having “a giant poetic understanding of what it is to be human.”
David worked for many years in the mental health field, facilitating group therapy sessions in grief, anger management, and loss. He said that the people he helped were labeled as “clients,” but to him, they were people. His compassion and empathy helped lift so many and that gave him great satisfaction and purpose.
Above all, David was genuine, kind, sweet-natured and gentle. He loved his family immensely and would do anything for them. He had a multitude of friends, from all walks of life, and maintained close, life-long friendships from his childhood, while continuing to make dear friends throughout his life. He had a huge heart and a seemingly boundless reserve of forgiveness, kindness and positivity. He encouraged his fellow poets, checked on friends who were having a rough time and always offered to help out, whenever and however he could. David was quick to laugh and the sound of his laughter would fill a room, fill your heart, and always make you laugh along with him.
For the past several years, David had a far tougher time than he ever deserved. He had experienced so much loss and hardship that he fought back against again and again, with persistence and strength, and astonishing bravery. But, despite his efforts, this time he did not recover. Through it all, he remained benevolent and kind, looking at you with those wise and trusting eyes, still giving the best hugs as he took you into his giant arms.
David was preceded in death by his sister, Jennifer Milne, his father, Paul Iribarne and his mother, Beverly Iribarne. He is survived by his loving brother Matthew Iribarne and his wife, Amy Happ, his loving sister Nancy Gervais and her husband Bruce Gervais, his brother-in-law, John Milne, his nieces and nephews, and his many cherished friends.
He was immensely loved and will be deeply missed.
Donations in honor of David’s memory can be made to the Sacramento Poetry Center:
sacramentopoetrycenter.com
The Sacramento Poetry Center, 1719 25th Street, Sacramento, CA 95816