My brother and family died in plane crash on the way to a family vacation at Pine Mountain Lake (Groveland, CA) last night as their plane crashed upon takeoff from the Watsonville airport at about 7:30pm. There were no survivors. Died in the crash: David Houghton, 44, DeDe Houghton, 44, Luke Houghton, 12, Ryan Houghton, 10. We are so very sad at their passing and are struggling to come to grips with what has happened.
Above – Family photo from an adventure a few years ago.
HiRez of above photo:
http://www.davidhoughtonfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/HoughtonMex.jpg
UPDATE: 7/8/11 12:30pm: We’re looking for a more up-to-date family shot. The whole family just led a trip to Bonaire a few weeks ago. Please send full resolution photos via yousendit to john at johnhoughton.com. Question came in about which boy is which. Luke is in the green shirt.
CORRECTION: 7/8/11 This post initially listed David’s age as 45. David was going to turn 45 on Monday. He is actually 44.
Update: 7/8/11 9:30pm: Sandi sent in the above picture from Bonaire as David and DeDe enjoy dinner at Captain Don’s. This is from last week. We are VERY happy to have this recent photo. If you have more, please send to john at johnhoughton.com. Thank you. Full resolution photo here: http://www.davidhoughtonfamily.com/images/Bonaire_P6270110.JPG
There are three or four video stories here and some are up-to-date as of a few hours ago:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=8239296
Above – David and DeDe in their scuba shop in 2009.
Above – One of my brother’s rough-and-ready
photos from his African Safari with the family.
Above – My late nephews Ryan on left and Luke on right as they play with
their dog “Critter.” Critter wasn’t in the plane and is safe with us.
We are actively reading – please leave comments below. We loved David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan so very much and can’t believe they are gone. Thanks everyone for your love and support.
Thank you for publishing. Dede was my cousin, her Dad Wayne and I are first cousins. Wayne’s mother Dorothy and my mother Lucille (passed) were sisters.
Such a horrific tragedy. Their lives were lived to the fullest, traveling with their scuba etc. and so it may be that God called them all home early so they’d never be apart.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. God Bless.
The whole Two-Way Immersion Program from Luke and Ryan’s school has been watching this horrific event unfold this morning. It is such a loss for everyone who knew them. What a fun, adventurous, joyous family! They were friends to all of us and I can’t believe they are gone. We’ll all miss them terribly. I will think of them every time I pass their house on the hill.
Our prayers go out to their extended family. We had the pleasure to get to know Dede, Luke and Ryan through Soquel 4H. They brought joy and happiness to our gatherings. They all will be missed.
I new The Houghton Family. They were very active at Delaveaga and Branciforte middle school. I personally new the two boys from cub scouts. Luke, Ryan, Dede, and David will always be remembered.
Dave was my first Scuba instructor and I had the pleasure of helping him in a few classes afterwards including the one where he meet DeDe which was also the class that my future wife took. We went a several trips to Mexico and up to Sea Ranch with Dave and DeDe and had the pleasure of attending their wedding. Both my wife and I send our deepest condolences to both families on this horrible tragic day.
Both Dave and DeDe were wonderful adventurous people and kind and considerate of everyone. They were great parents and great friends to many.
They lived life to the fullest and died together and they will be sorely missed
This has to be so hard for you John. My thoughts are with all of you as you deal with this sudden loss. I am with Linda and DeDe’s Nevada County family and some of our discussion has been around the anticipated pictures, (if they are out there), of the Bonaire trip. We always “followed” their trips, shared their happiness at each new adventure — and they had so many adventures. Our love goes out to you, to Catherine, to Marion and Ed and your families. We will never forget how David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan ENHANCED our lives — the wonder they brought to our lives — we will miss them so much.
John,
Thanks again for posting this information. The Delaveaga Elementary School and Santa Cruz Community is devastated by this tragic news. If there is anything we can do to help locally (ie feed their animals, water the plants), donations, please let us know.
Our condolences to your family. We all will miss Dave, DeDe, Ryan, and Luke.
David Pais
Dave , Dede, Luke, and Ryan are part of many great memories from traveling all over the world with my wife Bonnie and I, We will miss them very much. After the numbness of this horrible event starts to fade I will have many wonderfull times to remember of them. They were very kind and caring people.
Luke and I went to school together. I moved schools later so we grew apart. We still saw each other at friends birthday party’s and we invited each other to each others Halloween party’s. We didn’t talk much to each other but now I wish I did. He always had the better Halloween party. I always liked his better than mine. He had the better strobe light, a mist machine, a bigger house to run around in, Nerf guns to shoot at each other, and a trampoline everyone went on. I always had a blast there and I wish I could still go.
So sad to learn about this tragic accident ! I work at Chez Belle hair salon they were our landlords . Super sweet family!
I had Luke for English class in third grade. I’m so sorry to hear about this tragic loss.
This is so sad!!!! Dede helped so much at our school. My daughter Sophia had Ryan in her class before and he was a sweet boy. My father is a diver since the 50′s and called me up about this tragic accident. My father went diving with David in the past and they were very generous and wonderful people!! She was an amazing person and loved helping kids and was always at the school giving her time. So sad that the nice people always pass away. So sorry to the family for such a tragic loss!
Rachelle Pimentel-Denton
With one swift blow the Santa Cruz community has lost one of it’s truly
wonderful families. The Houghtons lived life to the fullest, and treated everyone with respect. We will all miss them…
hey big head, i’m really sorry to hear about dave and his family. i hope you, catherine and your folks are holding up okay… words are kind of failing me right now but let me know if you need help with anything and i’ll try to make it happen. peace, brindon
To the family and friends:
I am so very very sorry for your loss. This is tragic. I did not have the pleasure of knowing the family but please know you are in my prayers.
I am truly sorry.
Such sad and shocking news today. We’ll miss David, Dede, Ryan and Luke at Boy Scouts, school, and other social events. They always had such great stories about their travels and adventures. Please let us know if the family needs any help with the animals.
Oh John- My heart breaks for you & your family!!
Send my best to your folks & Catherine…
You are in our hearts & minds.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Best Always, Shanna
I’m very much heart broken by the phone call I received this morning about this family tragedy. I did all my dive certifications with Aqua Safaris up through Dive Master and became close with De De and David. It didn’t take long to realize they were extraordinary people/parents who loved life. Luke and Ryan were always involved living life to the fullest with 4 – H, Jr Guards ,traveling etc. De De was so supportive of me and my family as my wife and I recently had a baby girl. My 4 month old girl got to meet De De last week and you know how much she loved babies. I will miss The Houghton family Santa Cruz will not be the same.
Ed, Marion & John – we just heard the very sad news – we are so sorry – Dave and DeDe were such wonderful people – we went on a few dive trips in the early days – before the kids arrived – they were such wonderful hosts and great spirits. Their spirits will live on in all of our lives – we hope that you can overcome the deep sorrow that we know must be with you right now and feel their spirits living on. We are truly at a loss for words to express our sorrow as we know you must be as well. Please know we are thinking and praying for you in this very difficult time.
This is just devastating news, such an unbelievable loss for the community. I didn’t know them well but bought dive gear from the shop over the years, donated computer stuff for Mexico, that sort of thing. I always enjoyed the warm & welcoming vibe of the store, looked forward to Dede’s dive travel newsletters because she was perpetually stoked and her enthusiasm was infectious…what a horrible, tragic loss for our dive community and Santa Cruz. My heart goes out to the family & everyone who knew them.
I saw the news last night and was deeply shocked and upset to hear at lunchtime that David, DeDe, Luke & Ryan were in the plane. I’ve known them since I moved out to CA, we went to each others weddings, shared trips to Sea Ranch and the Channel Islands. They were such joyful, adventurous people who welcomed all. I keep hearing their laughter… I will miss them deerly.
My deepest condolences to the family.
I’m so heartbroken..I just saw Dave two weeks ago and when I was leaving turned to my friends and said, “That is one of my favorite people”
My heart goes out to the families and everyone who loved them..
Am still in shock, and am at a loss as what to say. I knew David very well, went to UCSC with him, dove with him many, many times, and hung out with him at the firehouse when he was a firefighter on campus. Wish I could have met Dede and the boys. I know he was always so full of life and his whole family followed his dream of owning his own dive shop and traveling the world. He never took NO as an answer….he just knew that if there was something he wanted to do, he did it! I always envied that about him. I am so sorry for the loss to the whole Santa Cruz community. Dave, Dede, Luke and Ryan….may you all be diving in the most beautiful waters in heaven. You all will be missed more then you will ever know.
My deepest symthy goes out to the family. My daughter went to school with Luke… Dede was a wonderful sweet woman.. They will be missed by the community…
I knew Dave and Dede when they were still dating. I bought my first set of SCUBA gear from Dave’s little store when it was still @ his house. Luke was a baby when we went to Baja and I still smile when I think of his bath in a bucket next to the palapa. I remember so many great times with both of them through the years. David and Dede were happy, genereous and wonderful people. They always had a kind word, a huge smile and gave great big hugs. David, Dede, Luke and Ryan….you will be greatly missed but always remembered.
This loss is incomprehensible – such a terrific family that has touched so many of our lives in so many ways. My children knew both Ryan and Luke from Delaveaga and Branciforte- and they are having a hard time understanding and accepting that their schoolmates are gone. I knew Dave from UCSC – and got to know Dede at Delaveaga; they were both charismatic, kind-hearted, giving people who were amazing parents, and despite jobs, family, and life, still did so much for their community – locally and abroad.
My family sends our deepest condolences to Dave, Dede, Ryan and Luke’s family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Dede had such an amazing generosity with her time at DeLaveaga Elementary and always a positive attitude and smile. I feel lucky to have volunteered recently with her and to have enjoyed her company. This is a huge loss for our school and the Santa Cruz community. My condolences go out to your whole family.
I did all my Scuba training at Aqua Safaris. Every time I ran into Dede and David they were always so helpful and friendly. You could tell they had amazing energy and zest for life. My condolences go out to their family. I’m so sorry this happened. They will all be greatly missed.
David and Dede were a great couple and the thing I will always remember is their smile. I can’t think of a time that I met them and they didn’t have their great smile on their face. My son Alex and Luke went to school together at Delavega elementary and they shared their passion and interest for fencing were they would meet every Monday and Wednesday. That is were I met Dede last time two days ago, we had a nice conversation which I will never forget. They were such a great family and great friends. They will be for ever missed.
My heart goes out to the Houghton family.
Dave and I worked together during the summers of ’82 and ’83 in YCC and stayed in touch through our college years.
We reconnected through Facebook in the last year. [We kept saying we'd talk by phone, but both of us were so busy. I regret that I waiting -- thinking there was nothing but time.]
What I will always remember about Dave is his all-out, full-throated laugh. He leaned back into it with joy and gave himself over to it.
I am happy to learn of his adventures and his beautiful family. It does not come as a surprise.
I will miss knowing he is in the present-day universe. I send every best wish to his family.
–Steph
I had the pleasure of cultivating a close working relationship with DeDe, Dave, Luke, and Ryan over the years as a two-time employee at Aqua Safaris. Most recently, I came back to work for DeDe at the end of summer of 2009 and only intended on working a few months…but a few months quickly turned into a year. It’s not hard to see why because the energy they put out at the shop made it such a fantastic place to be. As an employee, I had the pleasure of seeing all of the people whose lives they personally touched and I am thankful for that. They were such amiable, energetic, pleasant, and charming people. DeDe was the best boss I’ve ever had in my life and a very sweet and caring lady who made everyone feel like family. The same is just as easily said for Dave and the kids. Santa Cruz is in mourning and has lost a cornerstone in the community. I still can’t believe it. They will be forever cherished and missed. If there is any news that’s available about a wake, I would really like to know. I would not feel right being absent from such an event.
Times are so difficult at this moment, I’m afraid to sleep because I know I have to wake up…and the pain in my heart is like nothing I have ever felt before. Comparing this pain to the the joy and pride I feel when I think of our David, DeDe, Luke and Ryan, read the words of the many people in their lives and remember my life with them in it, I know I was so richly blessed. A beautiful daughter from the day she was born full of love, caring and understanding. Her love and support to her husband and their combined never ending love for life, their boys and their family and friends were present always in their lives. I will miss them all and will keep them in the huge hole in my heart forever, but most of all I will remember and hopefully find peace in the memories. Bless all of their families and friends we were so lucky to be loved by them all. Thank you for your caring and support.
I was friends with Dave and Dede and went on many trips with them. I also lived with them at their house. They were wonderful people. Always kind and giving and uplifting. As others have said they lived life to the fullest and had a huge impact on their community which extended outside of Santa Cruz. I am so deeply saddened by this tragedy and send my condolences to the family. Some of my best memories were spent with them and their spirit will always live on in me. Godspeed to a wonderful family. We will miss you terribly.
I met the Houghtons several years ago on an abalone dive to Sea Ranch. They were warm and gracious people who knew how to make everyone feel welcome. I would run into Dave around town once in a while after that and he always remembered me and stopped to chat. If a family who barely brushed my life could leave such a wonderful impression on me I can’t imagine how difficult this loss is to those who knew and loved them well.
Please know that my heart goes out to you for this tremendous loss. They were an amazing family who left an impact on everyone they met.
This is very tragic news and a great loss. I knew David from the UCSC SCUBA Club back in the late 80′s. It was a great time, where we all shared our love of diving and made it down to Monterey and the Channel Islands as often as we could. I haven’t seen him in many years, but had kept in touch with him in recent years through a mutual friend. I was happy to hear that he was living a live full of love, family, and adventures. Although their lives have been cut much too short, their adventurous spirits and love for life will live on through all of the people that were lucky enough to meet them.
John and family. I am deeply saddened by the loss of David and his family. I have good memories of David, you and Catherine and your family in the early years. David was always tender hearted, kind with a big heart. It is evident from the comments of others that he lived a full fearless life of adventure and generosity towards others. Our prayers are with you.
Pingback: Passing of Aqua Safaris Family |
John,
David has been a good friend since high school. We were so sorry to hear about the tragic loss. Our thoughts are with your entire family at this time. He always seemed happy and living life to its fullest. Such a zest for life! They will be missed…….
John,
We are so very sorry to hear about David and his family. He was a good friend since high school to us. He was always happy, living life to its fullest. They really had a zest for life! Such a beautiful family and a tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family as we fondly remember all the good times.
My daughter, Riley, and I are sending out Good Wishes to the entire family. I met Dave and Deedee at the Fire Department when they were up at UCSC . I ran into them again when our children attended Tara Redwood School together. Super awesome hearts, loving and kind people. They were always there to be helpful to others, and do it with big smiles. We will miss seeing them around Santa Cruz and having them in our lives.
We will smile whenever we think about them: )
With very Warm Regards and Love,
Wendy and Riley
I went to high school in King City with DeDe. She was one of my dearest friends. I was into high school rodeo and she went with me to so many of those rodeos. I also was in an accident with her (my fault). She ended up breaking her foot or ankle, but the dr said I did her a favor because she had an extra bone in her foot! DeDe was one of the sweetest people you could ever know and it absolutely breaks my heart that she is gone. She talked so lovingly about her husband and boys. Everytime I saw her, she was so happy. I knew she had a very happy life, full of love. I am so sorry she is gone. My condolences go out to Andy and Linda and to the Houghton family.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dede at Dave and my high school reunion several years back…I really enjoyed spending the after noon with both of them At Harvey west park….I am so sorry for their families loss, because they were very special people! God bless you! I will keep all of you i
n my prayers!
I am saddened and shocked to learn of this loss. What a wonderful family. Luke was in my 4th grade class always with his nose in a book! Dede was there almost every day and would help out with ANYTHING and always with a smile. They will be greatly missed. My thoughts and love go out to the family.
DeDe, David, Luke and Ryan,
Your love of life and adventurous spirits were contagious, your kindness and generosity towards others remarkable. You four made this world a better place. We will miss you dearly.
Our family has known the boys and DeDe since preschool for my daughter and Ryan. DeDe has always been a pillar of support for me and my girls both at Tara Redwoods and Dos Alas/Delaveaga. She was an inspirational mother and I am so sad to hear of this loss. My condolences to the family.
What a lovely family, what an immense loss, i can’t believe it. I cannot imagine what you, the family must be going through. PLease know that I am a better person for having known Dede and Dave.
I’ll keep you in my prayers.
Clare
I had the pleasure of teaching Ryan in the Summer program at Tara Redwood School. I’ll never forget his huge hugs and loving heart that clearly came from being raised in a loving and wonderful family. I will celebrate that love and honor their memory by being extra loving to my family today. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to support your family at this time, and know that your love is never lost…it ripples out to every being each of them touched, and so on forever!
Dede was my 4th grade Teacher, I am now 25 years old and have always held so many fond memories of her class. I remember when Dave brought in a great white shark for us to dissect. I still have a small vile with a shark tooth in it! Capitola Elementary students, and all of Dede Anderson’s students, are so beyond saddened by this news. She was my favorite teacher who was a ocean conserving enthusiast! My heart goes out to her loved ones during this tragic time. ?
My son went to preschool at Tara Redwood school with Ryan and Luke. Such a sweet , loving family will be missed. I am heartbroken at your loss. Our whole community lost in this tragedy. I’m sending you prayers.”some people, sweet and attractive, and strong and healthy, happen to die young. They are masters in disguise, teaching us about impermanence.”- Dalai Lama Om mani padme hum
I taught with DeDe at Capitola Elementary School, where she taught fifth grade. An exemplary teacher, DeDe was conscientious and well-liked by her students and peers. She had a great sense of humor and wonderful smile! I am happy that she led such an exciting life with her husband and sons, but I am so sorry that their lives were cut short by this tragic accident. My thoughts are with their families and friends.