LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Born with the lofty name of Walter David Hemenway the third, he preferred Dave, but most people over the last several years just called him Papa and he loved it.

The following summary is accurately recounted with a wink and a smile, and would have received a chuckle from him.

A local from birth, Papa spent his childhood innocently terrorizing the streets of Kelseyville with his flock of siblings and friends. He graduated from Kelseyville Union High School in 1966.

He worked, played and irritated the local constabulary with poorly conceived yet funny antics, most of which contained a selection of cars, women, booze, Gary and\or George.

He loved racing cars, cold beer, racing boats, warm beer, skiing competitions, women and free beer.

He learned to fix anything with a motor at the hip of Fred Fedderson. He was an active part of the Kelseyville community through politics, Wild West days, all the way to being a Boy Scout leader as an adult.

Papa served with distinction and honor with the Army’s 101st Airborne in Vietnam. He didn’t like to tell people about it, so neither will I.

He helped or tried to help everyone he met. He loved to learn and loved to educate. He made friends with everyone, including one somewhat baffled, but very pleased taxi cabdriver in Havana.

Papa has four or five ex-wives, all of whom were the love of his life. He was a single father off and on to a passel of children, some of whom he fathered, one his daughter brought home, and more than a few who he raised with all of the love in his heart. They in turn have given him some really smart, gorgeous, intelligent and in some cases, furry grandchildren.

At the time of his death, Papa left 32 flashlights, 973 batteries, four generators, three ditch bags, enough gauze and tourniquets to appropriately stock a wartime ER, and other various items that will be handy in the zombie apocalypse.

The stories I know are multitude and many not fit for general audiences, but come by and I will tell them to you over an Old Fashioned or two.

In lieu of flowers that will just die or set off allergies, please make a donation to the Veterans Museum in Lakeport, or your local watering hole. Please don’t forget to tip your bartender. Especially if she is pretty, it’s what Papa would have wanted.

Arrangements by Chapel of the Lakes Mortuary, 707-263-0357 or 707-994-5611, or visit www.chapelofthelakes.com.