In Loving Memory of David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan Houghton

Today would have been David’s 46th birthday.  I really miss him.  It’s hard to believe someone so can be gone so quickly.  He had been around so much that it’s hard to believe he could ever be gone.  Left – Picture of David in Wakatobi in 2005. Continue reading →

A post from Linda Anderson, DeDe’s mom.  David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan died in a plane crash on July 7, 2011.  Picture below is the four of them on a backpacking trip in 2007.

Mother’s Day has always been special to me and it is because of my children.  To watch them grow from day one and meet the challenges in life and conquer their fears.  The lessons they taught me, the joy, love and caring they shared is immeasurable.  When God made mother’s he blessed the world!  My beautiful daughter DeDe was born to be a mother, the most important factors in her life were her boys Luke and Ryan.  She devoted her life to guiding them, pushing them ever so gently and supporting their efforts.  Her ability to find the perfect father for their sons was an effort she pursued and achieved!  He too saw the specialness of this woman, friend and love of his life.

My mother was special to me, besides a mother she was a friend, one that shared so many life experiences.  I learned to cook, sew and yes clean from her.  I learned about love and discipline, and I learned to go after what I wanted to achieve in my lifetime.  I miss her and as she and I shared Mother’s Day and my Birthday once in awhile it made the day even more special.

Last year DeDe gave me a beautiful card on which she wrote that she had a great teacher in me as her mother. The verse was about all the nice things mothers do, helping with the hair for school pictures, being there on the special days, like school graduations or recitals that allows them to share, the planning for the wedding and then the wonderful day when she is there to assist you and share in the arrival of the new birth of their children.  Then she hand wrote, “I chose this card because it says what I feel, but I really wanted to get the one that says a Good Mother lets her children lick the frosting from the beaters, but a really Good Mother unplugs the mixer first.”

I will have a wonderful Mother’s Day even though you my special DeDe will not be here physically, but the memories of the times we have shared, the joy you gave me in choosing me for you mother, and the heart full to overflowing with Pride at the lovely woman, friend, daughter and mother you were.

I also want to acknowledge another terrific mother, my daughter-in-law Cheri, who has always shared her love and the love she has for my son Mitch.  Together they are raising two children and are doing a great job, and should proudly embrace and give thanks for this wonderful opportunity to be a Mother and Father!

I love you all and am so proud to be your Mom!

DeDe’s birthday is this Wednesday, April 4 and her mom, Linda Anderson, wrote something special (below).  DeDe and her family died in a plane crash in Watsonville on July 7, 2011.  Pictures were from the Houghton family’s 2010 visit to the California State Capitol and they show the family and Linda.

In July 1966 I became pregnant with my second child, for nine months I carried this little one close under my heart not knowing for sure if it was my little girl or a baby brother for Mitch.   Continue reading →

Post from Linda Anderson, DeDe Houghton’s mom.  Click on image for larger size.

As 2011 comes to an end, I have been trying to decide how to write my Christmas letter!  So much has happened in this year, starting last January I said my farewell to my baby sister Nancy as she gave up her fight with this earthly life, a week later my job ended and I found myself retired with much time on my hands.  I was starting to look at my future and what I should do with the rest of my life, or at least the rest of the year.  In February my dear friend and first boss in Nevada County Maggie Smith passed from this life,  again leaving a question about life’s purposes and circumstances.  I was considering a possible move, to get closer to family and David talked to me about a possible change to moving to their property in Baja Mexico at least a few months out of the year, a place they loved and they assured me that they would fly down and spend probably more time with me then they did living 4 hours away.  Circumstances again played in my delay from making that decision.  Mitch, Cheri, Grant and Bailey still live within an hour and a half from me and I wondered how I could move away and leave them for longer times.  Mitch is still working for Steritech and is doing very well and has expanded his area to Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Nevada as well as the northern California region.  Cheri continues with her job and home they stay busy with the many activities Grant and Bailey are involved in.  Bailey enjoys softball and is on the summer and winter leagues.  Grant is a sophmore and very involved with highschool, and enjoys spending time with his friends and is looking forward to getting his driver’s license next spring.

On July 7th, life dealt a blow that has changed our lives forever when we lost our David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan in a tragic airplane crash.  Daily I ask myself why and have to call upon my faith and trust in God to find a peace that allows me to continue to count my blessing and cherish the love that they shared with me!  I miss them and they are constantly in my thoughts.  As Christmas comes I find myself thinking more about Gods love and I am so thankful for all of the angels he has sent to love and comfort me.  Their many friends shared their love in each picture and each gesture they did when they put together the celebration of the four lives and they continue to remember and support in their sharing.  I have been blessed with many new friends and the renewal of old friendships.   I find that music and songs bring peace and help me focus on this love, the friends and family that are here to support and care so lovingly.  Their lives were so full of adventure and wonderful moments, they touched so many where ever they were.  Friends they had many and enemies none!  This boys knew of love and peace and are a big part of my Christmas picture this year.  My wishes are for us all to continue to build memories, live life to the fullest and share your love because  we never know when that is what we will have left. Thank you to all of you my angels and we all wish you Peace and love this holiday season and in the New year.

Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted.  I’ve tried to get back to life and done a decent job at delivering on my work deadlines lately.  Thanks everybody for your patience.  I just have to say, though, I miss them.

I knew my brother for 43 years and I miss him the most.  You could say I spent more time with him than any other person in my life.  I was with him all through my childhood.  In going through his things, my family found his little red jacket from when he was a child.  In the right side, it has a hole in the pocket for his right hand because it wore through.  When I saw the jacket last week, I broke down and was inconsolable.

Pictured above looks like a picture of us in Italy or France (I’m not sure) looks like 1979 or 1980.  Sorry that the photo is black and white – our jackets are red – I had one just like his but smaller.  David in the middle, me on the left, my dad on the upper left and my sister on the right.  None of us picture perfect, but that was David in the jacket he wore with us all through Europe.  He wore the jacket 1976 – 1980 and we toured Europe many, many times per year like that.  I spent a lot of time, shoulder-to-shoulder with him as we went though Europe, touring in our white family car.  Others of my family feel the same way and enjoy holding the jacket when we feel like we want to be near him.

We wept bitterly when we found the jacket that he had kept since he was a boy.  In some ways, I can still hear his voice.  It wasn’t long ago that he was just saying “hi” to me.  DeDe had a higher voice and she was always asking how things were going, especially with the baby.  Luke always had a story, full of interesting and accurate facts, with his voice inflected up at the end of his sentences, but in the last factual sentence, he would end it down (with a subtle sense of authority).  Ryan was sometimes showing me that he was better than I, so we traded friendly barbs.  Pretty confident for a 10 year old.  Ryan loved babies most of all.  He loved my daughter more than life itself.  I really miss them…

Jim Gatacre of the Handicapped Scuba Association wrote a touching tribute to the family, telling about how they selflessly gave to the organization and touched the lives of many through their contributions. Picture of David Houghton, in red, volunteering for the Handicapped Scuba Association (unknown date – published under Fair Use).

Click Here to Read Tribute On Handicapped Scuba Association Site

Post below from Linda Anderson, DeDe’s mom.  Picture (left) on David and DeDe’s bedroom wall.

I did not sleep real well last night, “Tossing and Turning” and yet I would not let myself get up because I know I need to sleep!  So as I layed there I thought and thought and then realized that my being was guiding me yet again.  I dozed for a short while and when I woke realized that I needed to write another message for my blog friends and share yet another story about this process of grief.  Continue reading →

I’m trying to think of how Ryan and Luke would want to be remembered.  The major point of reference I have is how I felt when I was 10 and 12 years old.  Since I always start with Luke, let’s start with Ryan for a change.  Pictured left is Ryan, June 5, 2010, in Egypt.  Here he is “lifting” a pyramid with one hand.  When I was 10 years old, I can remember having major crushes on girls and I always wanted them to know how strong and capable I was.  If Ryan was anything like me, he would want me to find a picture of him bench pressing 100 pounds and post it here on the blog.  I don’t have such a picture, so here is Ryan lifting a pyramid with one hand.  That’s pretty strong, Ryan!  Ryan actually was pretty strong and he might have been able to bench 100 pounds.  They had a weight set.  I don’t know who he had major crushes on, and I wouldn’t want to embarrass him or anybody else, but I’m sure there was somebody he thought about a lot.

For Luke, let me think.  Hmmm.  I was in Middle School, just like Luke, when I was 12.  I got beyond the show-off stuff but I still loved girls.  I remember being intellectually curious.  I think Luke liked being labeled as smart.  He spent a lot of time reading and learning new things and he frequently offered “alternative viewpoints” for his teachers in class.  Many of his teachers commented that Luke kept them on their toes.  He traveled, saw so many things and did so many things that he really knew a lot.  I remember last month, I was at one of his friend’s house and there were some older kids there that went on the Bonaire trip.  One was in high school and the other in college and they both said Luke was “whip” smart.  He had already finished reading Dune at a young age.  I remember I tried reading Dune in college and didn’t make it all the way through.  Luke truly was a smart kid.

I was very sad when I saw this picture (taken by Laura Perron – thanks Laura).  Besides his many enthusiastic greetings, this is how my late brother also said goodbye, with a big smile on his face.  It looks here like he is saying goodbye to us.  I miss him so much.

Left – Photo of the late family in Egypt.

It’s good to find out what’s important to you in life, and then to go and do it.  For my brother and his family, they loved to travel.  Continue reading →

I was inspired by something I saw on the news tonight about Steve Jobs of Apple.  As you know, Steve is stepping down, presumably for health reasons.  Steve said (via NBC, picture also via NBC):

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All are welcome at the Houghton family beach celebration on Sept 10th, 3pm Seabright Beach.

Celebrate our dear friends, David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan in a casual and fun environment.  More details available at http://houghtoncelebration.pbworks.com

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As I sit here in David and DeDe’s shop I think through all of the wonderful memories that they made with the dive community while doing what they loved.  To keep that going is our goal in re-opening today.  We had a lot of friends and scuba fans come out to commemorate the re-opening today, plus we had two news crews stop by KION and KSBW.  Continue reading →

Thank you everyone for your patience and support during these past few weeks.  Aqua Safaris Scuba Center is hosting a Grand Re-Opening of the shop this weekend with normal business hours of 10AM to 7PM!!  We would love for everyone to come and celebrate life, friends, and diving.  Enjoy beverages, snacks and free air fills.  The shop is located at 6896 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA and the phone number is 831 479-4386.

I’ll be there from 11am to 2pm as will other family members.  Please stop by to say hi!

As previously reported, on August 13, 2011, DeDe’s cousin Greg Balow married Heidi Langenbacher at Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe.  To the left is a picture of their wedding Arch with trees that symbolize David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan.

Post below from Sherry Balow, DeDe’s Aunt:

Almost everyone knows that there was a lot of symbolism built into the arch and as it was decorated.  More symbolism was brought to the event as Sherry Balow and Joyce Langenbacher joined families under this same arch with the sand ceremony.  The pine trees and the waves representing Lake Tahoe as the wedding site are pretty obvious, the arch itself being the strength Mike, and Fritz along with him, knows is necessary to bridge the known and the as-yet-unknown life experience that our children will face. The four living pine trees representing physical absence,  (David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan), were such a thoughtful and heartfelt addition from Greg and Heidi. Everyone should know that the 4 yellow flowers, (not roses – yellow roses were DeDe’s),  symbolizing friendship, caring, happiness and freedom, are my unique  ”interpretation” after Greg asked me to “decorate with simplicity”.   By using the floral onion I hope I incorporated a sense of belonging to the universe and as life is lived in it.  There is beauty, there is love, and there will always be tears.  How many thousands were spilled from July 7 to August 13, and how many thousand more were spilled right through Heidi’s most beautiful song to Greg?  The universe will continue to provide — will continue to recycle as it does the water from the sea to the water in the clouds and back again — and will leave it to us to embrace, as generations are born, live and die — our tears of sorrow, of frustration, of loneliness, of loss, all spent in the name of enduring love.  Love one another.

Yesterday at 2pm, friends and family gathered to place a memorial at Watsonville Community Hospital.  Our hearts were heavy as my dad and I lowered the heavy marble plaque with their inscribed names into its resting place.   Continue reading →