David M. Arnesen
Obituary
David M. Arnesen, 61, died on April 5, 2020, in Costa Rica, where he had been living for several years.
After graduating from Gonzales High School, he took a massage training course in Santa Cruz, and got a job as a masseuse for two years at Pinehurst Golf Club in North Carolina. where he honed his already good golf skills.
His hand-eye coordination was apparent at an early age. As a six-year old, he could pretty much clear the pool table at neighbor Rudy Gronningen's house across the street from his parents' house in Soledad.
He attended junior college for a few years in San Diego, then worked as a banquet waiter and carpenter in the Monterey area before eventually moving to Petaluma, where he worked for the family machine shop for many years.
n his early 20's, he traveled to Mexico and Central America, and came to love and appreciate those cultures. He traveled to Costa Rica every year, and eventually bought some land and built a small cottage in the mountains overlooking San Isidro.
Dave was an excellent craftsman, a great cook and, in the words of a Scottish friend of his, "a delightful man."
We all miss his good humor and quick wit.
He was always there to lend a helping hand.
David is survived by his brothers, Mitch (Janet) of Aromas and Doug of Greenfield; nephew Erik, of Corvallis, Ore.; and numerous relatives in Petaluma.
David donated his body to the University in Costa Rica.
A family gathering is planned for a later date in Petaluma.
For more information, contact Mitch at branchingout@sbcglobal.net.
Published in Gonzales Tribune · April 22, 2020