David A. Emerson Obituary
David Allen Emerson, age 77, of Gloucester, husband of Susan (Stangel) Emerson, died at home on September 13, 2023, surrounded by family after a twenty-year argument with cancer.
David was born to the late Gordon E. and Margaret (Jones) Emerson on April 15, 1946, in Boston, Massachusetts. He grew up in Rockport, graduating with the Rockport High School Class of 1964. He earned his BA from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont in 1968, majoring in American Literature and minoring in Fine Arts and French. Five days after graduating from Middlebury he married his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, Susan Stangel, also a 1964 graduate of RHS. They were married at St. Mary's Episcopal church in Rockport. He and Susan moved to New York City in the fall of 1968 to begin their married life. The time that they spent there, with David concentrating on an MBA in International Finance at Columbia and Susan working at the Rockefeller Foundation, broadened their horizons immensely.
David and Susan eventually returned to Cape Ann and settled in Gloucester. The couple purchased Gloucester Music, a small retail business on Main Street, which they owned and operated together for nearly 40 years. Eventually David found enjoyable and rewarding employment doing independent accounting work for other enterprises.
David was not career-oriented and chose to live life on his own terms, focusing on what truly mattered to him. He found immense pleasure raising his three children and traveling to Europe and the Caribbean with his family. He and Susan loved to maintain the grounds and gardens of their home and to discover and collect antiques of various sorts.
David devoted much of his life to the First Congregational Church of Rockport. He served the church in many capacities: twenty-five years as Treasurer and a dozen years as Senior Deacon. David was pleased to have served for a short period of time as Director and Treasurer of the Rockport Chamber Music Festival. He found great satisfaction offering respite care as a volunteer assisting hospice patients and their families. He proudly served on the twenty-fifth reunion committee of his class at Middlebury College.
In addition to Susan, his wife of fifty-five years, David is survived by his daughter, Jessica Demarjian and her husband Haig of Gloucester, his son Ethan Emerson of Gloucester, his son Caleb Emerson and his wife Cortney of Los Angeles and twelve precious and inspirational grandchildren: Alexander Demarjian of Salem, Julia Demarjian recently of Richland, WA and Ivan Demarjian of Gloucester, Henry, Jacob, Oliver, Silas, Avery, Clara, Phillip and William Emerson of Gloucester, and Charles Emerson of Los Angeles. David was very grateful for the opportunity to have three great-grandchildren: Henry, Nora and Gordon Emerson of Gloucester. He is also survived by his brother Christopher, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brother Jonathan.
A Memorial Service will be held at The First Congregational Church in Rockport on Sunday September 17 at 1:00 P.M. with a reception to follow. The burial will be private. Memorial donations may be made to the Living Memorial Fund of the First Congregational Church of Rockport, 12 School Street, Rockport, MA or to the Emerson Family Library Fund at Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753.
Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester.
