David is a Death Doula, "Die Well, Live better."
David is an internationally recognized Gerontologist, certified Death Doula, and Public Speaker whose work bridges the gap between living fully and preparing for life's final transitions.
With over a quarter of a century of experience in elder care, grief support, and community education, David has supported thousands of individuals and families in navigating aging, dying, and caregiving with clarity and compassion. His personal and professional journey has led him to advocate for death literacy--but not in an orthodox fashion.
By sharing the stories, regrets, and emotional reflections of those at the end of their lives, David helps audiences in their 40s, 50s, and 60s confront what truly matters now — before it's too late. His talks are a wake-up call wrapped in compassion, designed to inspire people to live with more clarity, courage, and intention so they don’t carry the same regrets when their time comes.
1022
Clients Walked Home
35+
Years Public Speaking Experience
-100%
End of life Regrets
David helps others rewrite their stories to leave a meaningful impact. With decades of experience at the bedside, his mission is to guide people in living purposefully, free from regret.
David's experience at the bedsides of the dying has taught him that regret is almost always about wasted time, not money, status, nor possessions. He challenges audiences to reclaim their attention and reinvest it in what really matters.
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David's mission is simple: to “leave it better than he found it”, something his mother told him as a child, by sharing the urgent messages, wisdom and warnings he’s collected from just up the road with all of us who are heading that direction.
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Few people on Earth have heard what David has. His decades of harvesting deathbed wisdom allows him to share stories and truths that the dying insist he passes on. David brings their voices forward, into clarity, filtering the distractive static, offering lessons on, work, love, family, gratitude and what truly matters, purposeful use of our greatest asset, time.
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David, a Gerontologist and Death Doula of 25 years, turned a bucket list found at his uncle's deathbed into a life mission. Through decades of research, he inspires others to live fully now. A born storyteller and distiller of wisdom, David shares a treasure trove of urgent messages from just up the road.
David is featured in Carmel Living and Cypress Coast Living, two respected regional lifestyle magazines.
David’s message is powerful and timely. He challenges his audience to re-evaluate their priorities. At the same time, he is a consummate storyteller often going off script to include the audience, this is where he shines, guaranteeing that no presentation will be the same. No one leaves the room the same person they entered as.
Ron Mead
Vice President of Operations, Senior Resource Group
Brands Trust David to Elevate Their Events
What’s in a word? A LOT. Not one to follow in the herd, back in the late 90’s while working as an Industrial Organizational Psychologist for Network Equipment Technologies, a .com startup in Silicon Valley who’s largest client was the federal government, namely the military, as the Human Resource Trainer and Developer, David questioned; “why do we call these things “work”shops? Nobody likes the term “work”, it’s an immediate turnoff, no wonder people groan and grumble about attending. Plus, the way I design these sessions, it’s more fun than work. We should call these “fun”shops”. And the title stuck. Funshops are just that, a fun and creative way to broach, engage, immerse and learn about a variety of topics, many, challenging, sensitive, delicate or complex topics such as end of life considerations.
Carmel, California, December 18th, 2024
Carmel, California, February 26th, 2025
Carmel, California, April 16th, 2025
Carmel, California, July 9th, 2025
Carmel, California, October 29th 2025
David is a nationally recognized gerontologist, certified death doula, and public speaker whose work bridges the gap between living fully and preparing for life's final transitions.
With over a decade of experience in elder care, grief support, and community education, David has supported thousands of individuals and families in navigating aging, dying, and caregiving with clarity and compassion. His personal and professional journey has led him to advocate for death literacy--but not in an orthodox fashion.
By sharing the stories, regrets, and emotional reflections of those at the end of their lives, David helps audiences in their 40s, 50s, and 60s confront what truly matters now — before it's too late. His talks are a wake-up call wrapped in compassion, designed to inspire people to live with more clarity, courage, and intention so they don’t carry the same regrets when their time comes.
