Obituary of David J. Hedberg

David J. Hedberg, 78, of Jamestown, passed away unexpectedly at 9:04 pm Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in the Town of Gerry, NY. A lifelong area resident, he was born April 3, 1941 in Jamestown, NY a son of the late James A. and Martha Rachel Rogerson Hedberg. David was a 1959 graduate of Jamestown High School. He was also a graduate of Jamestown Community College and the State University of New York at Fredonia. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving from November 27, 1963 to November 26, 1969, where he served two years active duty and four years in the Army Reserves. Before his retirement, he was an English teacher for the Jamestown Public School System for 37 years. He began his career at Washington Junior High School in 1965, where he was yearbook advisor and contributing photographer. He also directed and acted in several theater productions. In 1982 he transferred to Jamestown High School. He was the 1990 class advisor and instrumental in the formation of the VideoWorks program in the late 90's. He also continued to be active with the theater programs. From 1979-1981, David performed in several musicals at Jamestown Little Theater (JLT). He was the official photographer for JLT for several years and participated in a spinoff group called The Guilders. The love of the stage motivated David to become a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). He was treasurer of the union for 10 years. He was often doing the spotlight for shows along with other backstage jobs at the Reg Lena Civic Center and Chautauqua Institution. Despite being an English teacher, he wasn't interested in word games. Instead, he preferred record-keeping and statistics. Following his retirement, he became a NYS Track Official. He became interested in the sport when his son had participated for JHS. He officiated at local, regional, and state levels. He especially loved officiating at Striders and the Junior Olympic meets. He was a member of the Chautauqu8a Strider Board of Directors from 2004-2015 and served as Chairman for 3 years. After his retirement from the board, he continued as a volunteer at events as a "behind the scenes man" making signs and helping with the course set up. David received the Dick Teetsel Award from the NYST&F and Chautauqua County Officials Association for his outstanding work in 2014. He was also a member of the Jamestown Area Community Federal Credit Union Board of Directors (JACFCU) and was president of the organization for several years. David and his wife Susan enjoyed hiking and camping. They especially loved being out in the woods and climbing mountains, spending many vacations in the Great Smokies. They traveled extensively. In the early years of their marriage, they explored Chautauqua County on their motorcycle David was a very talented and self-taught "man of the trades". He was humbly happy to help friends and family who were in need of tackling a project. As a book lover, he listened to hundreds of audio books and was able to work on his various projects while enjoying a good book at the same time. Playing cards and other games with family and friends was a monthly if not a daily activity. He was fascinated with family history and uncovering stories of the past. He was a common face at many household sales as well. David was a cat lover and the family always had one or more resident felines. He will be remembered as a loving and caring husband, father, grandfather and uncle who made the most of everyday. He always had a project to accomplish and loved spending time working at his camp. Surviving are his wife of 50 years, Susan Haskins Hedberg whom he married August 14, 1969, a son; Mark (Laurie) Hedberg of Fairport, NY, two grandchildren; Rylie June and Ethan Jarrett Hedberg both of Fairport, a brother; Paul (Ruth Lundin) Hedberg of Busti, NY, his five nieces; Jennifer (Clark) Issler of Sherman, NY, Pamela (Larry) Arnold of Mayville, NY, Cheryl (Wade) Fricker of Fredonia, NY, Tricia (Mary Beth Guzzetta) Hedberg of Pittsburgh, PA, Kristen (Matthew) Gronquist of Fredonia, NY, and his brother-in-law; John (Christine) Haskins of Lakewood, NY, as well as several great nieces and great nephews. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister; Ann Berndt and his step-mother; Katherine Hedberg. The funeral will be held at 11:00 am Tuesday in the Lind Funeral Home. Deacon Sam Pellerito of the Holy Apostles Parish will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Sunset Hill Cemetery. Friends will be received from 5-8 pm Monday in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the James Prendergast Library, 509 Cherry St. Jamestown, NY 14701, the Audubon Community Nature Center, 1600 Riverside Rd. Jamestown, NY 14701 or to the Chautauqua County Humane Society, 2825 Strunk Rd. Jamestown, NY 14701.