Mr. David Walter Lamps

David Walter Lamps March 27, 1949 – July 4, 2025 David Lamps passed away peacefully on Friday, July 4th in Pensacola, Florida. Dave was many things to many people in his lifetime. He was first a farmer. Born in LaSalle, Illinois to Walter and Helen Lamps, he grew up farming corn and soybeans on their land north of Peru. He married Kathy (Barnett) Gierat and had one daughter (Christa) in 1970, at which time he started as part owner of Lamps and Morris Magnavox in Ottawa, Illinois. Music was always a big part of his life and he enjoyed many types from rock to country. Dave was also an exceptional carpenter and concrete finisher. He worked for his father-in-law for many years pouring foundations, basements, patios and sidewalks, and then for Mertel’s in Peru. From his years on the farm, he also became an excellent mechanic, taking care of the farm equipment as well as his boats and trucks. He even built a Triumph chopper in his garage. As his daughter would say when she was young, “My Dad can do anything.” Then in the early 1990s, he found Bridget, his partner for the next adventures in his life. They married with their toes in the sand in St. Thomas, USVI in 1995. He became a boat Captain of a sailboat and later a yacht in the Caribbean and the Gulf. They split their time between Illinois and the island for nearly 20 years. They island hopped with friends and family, visiting almost all the islands in the Caribbean. They even had a few dogs that traveled with them and became great farmers and boaters themselves. They bought their own yacht and lived on it for quite some time. They have been married for 30 years and have lived in Orange Beach, Alabama since 2017. Working as hard as he did over the years, Dave played hard too at his many hobbies. He played basketball tennis and volleyball. He was a huge football fan (Roll Tide!). He also loved snowmobiling and enjoyed snow skiing. He spent countless hours in the air in small planes flown by his pilot friends. But for Dave, it was all about water. Owning a boat since a teenager, Dave and his family could be found on the Illinois River all summer, or later in life all over the Caribbean. He was an avid water skier and taught countless numbers of people to water ski. He even could be seen occasionally in a hang glider being pulled behind the boat on the river. He learned to scuba dive and became a Captain certified for up to 200-foot vessels. From a few 20-foot ski boats on the Illinois River to sailboats in the Caribbean to 100-foot yachts in the Gulf, Captain Dave piloted them all. He was a great father and husband, taking his family and friends on many trips and adventures throughout the years. He was a friend that could be counted on. He was a wonderful son, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and finally grandpa. He will be greatly missed. Dave is survived by his wife, Bridget Austin Lamps of Orange Beach, Alabama; daughter, Christa Lamps, granddaughter, Brook Danysh and son-in-law Erik Danysh of Brooklyn, Pennsylvania; and brother, John Lamps (and Mary) of LaSalle, Illinois; as well as extended family and friends in Illinois and Alabama. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Illinois. In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family suggests a donation to The City of Mobile Animal Shelter, where they adopted their Herbie. The donation page is https://fomaspets.org or the link is Friends of the Mobile Animal Shelter | Mobile, Alabama

Mr. David Walter Lamps

March 27, 1949 - July 4, 2025