David A. Lance, 64, of Bedford, passed into eternal peace after a cancer diagnosis in July. He bravely faced his final days and made his journey home on August 3rd, after a short stay at Sawtelle Hospice in Reading, with his wife Sarah, daughter Sophie, and dog Bear by his side.

Dave was born in Muskegon, Michigan, where he dearly loved growing up along Lake Michigan and fishing in a creek near his home. He pursued photography in high school where he photographed the sports teams. He had a darkroom at home and loved the magic of the chemistry involved in developing his photographs. He attended Muskegon Community College, where he met Professor Jack Rice who steered him to his chosen profession of Writing. He took college classes in the evenings while working construction jobs during the day and later transferred to Hope College. Dave loved being a student and learning about a variety of different subjects. To help put himself through college he formed his own small company that manufactured and sold plungers throughout the Midwest. Later, he embarked on a journey down south to Atlanta, where he continued working towards his college degree. He launched his writing career creating a user guide for Huddle House that was comprised of his photography and writing. He later accepted a contract at Alabama Power Company in Birmingham, when he met his wife, Sarah. He moved to Boston, and they married in 1996 and settled in West Newton.

In Boston, he worked for American Power Conversion and a few years later Dave and Sarah moved to Bedford, later welcoming their daughter Sophie. Dave loved being a Dad. He signed up for everything and volunteered his time and energy as a Cast Leader while his daughter performed the Nutcracker at the José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge over seven seasons.

He continued working on his college degree at night and accrued credits from Northeastern University, Harvard Extension and others to earn a B.A. in Economics from Hope College in Holland, Michigan. His love of photography blossomed in the digital age, and he went back to school at night to learn video production. He especially enjoyed video editing and storytelling.

Dave had many talents and passions. He could fix almost anything. He loved learning about history, especially reading Paul Revere's Ride. He read a great many books and was studying Latin. He was an excellent cook and after the first visit to the doctor he chose to leave the hospital in July to come home and make a nice dinner for his family. His interest in photography endured. Recent images from his iPhone include photos and videos of walking his dog Bear at the Carlisle Cranberry Bog.

As Dave's days were winding down, he did not have time to say goodbyes to everyone in his beloved community and other circles of family, friends, and colleagues so he sent heartfelt messages to express his love and gratitude to everyone. He was so grateful to have found such a welcoming and fascinating company as Diversified Technologies, Inc. in his final Technical Writing role.

He is predeceased by his parents, Joe Lance and his mother Gertrude Lance. He was also predeceased at birth by his sister Vicki. He leaves his wife Sarah, his daughter Sophie, his brother Roger Lance, sisters Linda Brosseit (Ron), Debbie Johnivan, Karen Pellerin (Phil), and his niece, nephews, and extended family, and his beloved dog Bear.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to:

Muskegon Community College. https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=tcs&formId=8f115eaa-9faf-4a90-b162-b235cfd73b0a&envid=p-iKJrnwC8qki1IGJo2fapaQ&zone=usa

His family thanks the wonderful staff at Sawtelle Hospice where he rested comfortably while he kept us laughing until the end. At one point he said "Oh, it's just a place to flop" (a line from Seinfeld, a show he dearly loved).

Visiting hours in Shawsheen Funeral Home on Monday, August 12, 2024 4pm to 6pm. Burial in Shawsheen Cemetery, 1 Shawsheen Road, Bedford on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 11am. Family and friends kindly invited.