Dare

David Stick - Obituary

Kitty Hawk, NC

David Stick, of Kitty Hawk, NC, passed away on Sunday, May 24, 2009. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank Leonard Stick, mother, Maud Hayes Stick, and sister, Charlotte McMullan Stick. He is survived by his three sons, Michael (Debra), Gregory, and Timothy (Kathy); seven grandchildren, Aimee, Renee, Robert, Michael, Josh, Trevor, and Honor; and his dear friend, Louise “Billy” Mishkind.

Mr. Stick was born in New Jersey in 1919, and moved with his family to Roanoke Island, NC in 1929. He graduated from Elizabeth City High School and attended the University of North Carolina, then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a combat correspondent in the Pacific during WWII. Following the war, he worked in Washington, DC and New York, before moving back to the Outer Banks for good in 1948.

During the next 60 years he involved himself in nearly every aspect of the community. As a businessman, he developed what eventually became the Town of Southern Shores, was part owner of a construction company, and owned and operated a bookstore. He was elected or appointed to numerous governmental bodies, serving on the Dare County Board of Commissioners, North Carolina Commission to Study Library Support, and the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission, to name just a few. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Outer Banks Community Foundation, and the donation of his library led to the creation of the Outer Banks History Center.

But his real love was research and writing, particularly on the topic of his beloved Outer Banks. He wrote books about the history of the Outer Banks, the history of shipwrecks along the coast, the history of Roanoke Island, Bald Head Island, and the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and an account of the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962.

During his later years, he liked nothing better than sitting in his living room overlooking Kitty Hawk Bay, telling stories of the old days to a steady stream of visitors. He was fortunate during this time to have a devoted group of friends and neighbors who gave him so much love and attention that, to the end, he called himself “the luckiest man I know.” His family extends their utmost gratitude to these devoted individuals.

A memorial service will be held at the Pavilion at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills on Monday, June 15, 2009 at 10:30 am, coordinated by the Outer Banks History Center and Twiford Funeral Homes. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to express their condolences consider a gift to the Outer Banks History Center, or to the Frank Stick Memorial Fund of the Outer Banks Community Foundation.

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© 2009 NE NC News.