In Memoriam Dave "Wildman" Morrison 1948 - 2006 Glen Cove High School Class of 1966 Dave Morrison passed away at his cabin in King Salmon, Alaska on 11 January 2006. He led a remarkable existence in the Alaskan wilds for over thirty years, under conditions that were physically demanding - often similar to living on the frontier in the 19th century. Dave was born in Brooklyn in 1948, but he grew up in Glen Cove in the President Streets, and was my neighbor and friend from the time I was about three years old. Upon graduating from Glen Cove High School in 1966, Dave joined the U.S. Navy and after boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, he served a tour in Vietnam before he was shipped off to Alaska, where he found his true home. During his time in Alaska, Dave worked on the Alaska Pipeline, crewed on a fishing boat, was employed as an observer for the National Weather Service, and lived in places with names that invoke the wildlife and the rugged lifestyle that he embraced - places like Kodiak, Great Bear, and King Salmon. From the cabin he built in King Salmon, Dave kept in touch with a great many friends and relatives in Alaska and throughout the Lower 48 by sending a monthly newsletter that was actually a journal of his life. I received his newsletter, "The Wildman Chronicles", for over twenty years, along with hundreds of photos and several video tapes detailing life in the great Alaskan outdoors. He lived on the uninhabited side of the Naknek River at King Salmon, and routinely crossed the river by canoe, ATV or snowmobile, depending on the season, in order to work, shop, socialize and go hunting. Dave ferried his supplies across by boat in the opposite direction through ice floes, wind and waves, and strong currents until the river froze over solid and thick. His adventures and a few mis-adventures made great reading. The self-proclaimed "Wildman" didn't live totally in the 19th century though. Solar panels charged his batteries for his wireless phone and radio, used to communicate with the outside world. A generator powered his stereo and TV, and also a computer, by which he chronicled his daily life through the often-harsh Alaskan seasons. He loved reading, rock music, movies and professional wrestling. His cabin may not have been roomy by our standards, but it held hundreds of books, thousands of music CDs and tapes, DVDs, and videotapes that help him cope with the long, dark Alaskan winter. He was an expert hunter, trapper, fisherman and guide, and well-known in the area as "Big Dave". He always lent a helping hand to anyone who needed assistance, both on and off the river. As an avid outdoorsman, Dave arranged hunting trips for people who came from the Lower 48 and from as far away as Germany, for the moose and bear hunt seasons every year. He thoroughly enjoyed his lifestyle, living by the fruits of his hunting and fishing skills. Though he hunted for his subsistence, Dave loved the variety of wildlife on the tundra and always carried his 35mm camera and video camera. My family and I have enjoyed his photos of eagles, geese, ducks, moose, caribou, salmon, whales, foxes, beaver, mink, rabbits, and wildflowers, etc., with which he was familiar on a daily basis. With his health beginning to deteriorate in recent years, Dave was finding it more and more difficult to maintain his unorthadox lifestyle, though the things he did on a daily basis still leave me in awe. A mild heart attack in the Spring of 2005 sent him to Anchorage for the Summer for a battery of tests and medications. On his return from Anchorage he continued his routine that included running a trapline during the Winter for beaver, wolf, fox and mink, and he resumed hunting, though he was finding his stamina much reduced. I was fortunate to travel to Alaska for the first time last year, passing through Anchorage 4 times on business during the Summer. Thus, fate provided the opportunity for Dave and me to get together for the first time since his High School Class Reunion in the 1990s, the last time he had been on Long Island. I last saw Dave in August 2005 on my way home from Alaska. Dave's passing leaves a void for the many people that considered him a friend. I'm comforted by the fact that he was where he wanted to be and living the life he loved right to the end. He will be missed. Dave is survived by his daughters Jeryl Ann and Stephanie, and five grandchildren in Alaska, his dad John Morrison of Florida, and sister Jeri Yarbrough of Texas.       Rest in Peace, Wildman.