Dave Ahern (aka David George Ahern), passed away on March 29, 2022 at the age of 80, in the home that he built and raised his family in, surrounded until the very end by his wife of 57 years, Dolores Ahern, and his children Katie Clancy of South Dennis, MA and Kevin Ahern of West Hartford, CT. A fitting coda for a man who always put family first.
Dave only expected to live to 75–the longest any male made it in his family–but he was competitive and really liked to get his money’s worth, so in true Dave fashion he found a way to squeeze an extra 5 years out of the deal.
Dave had many nicknames: Davey Doo Da, Boots, Dad, Mr. A, Bup, MF, Capt. Trash, and Hydrangea Man (among other monikers not suitable to print). He earned these names by being who he was: The son of Viola E. Ahern and John J. Ahern (both deceased), little brother of Anne Marie Hampton of South Dennis, and middleman to his brothers Michael K. Ahern, and John J. Ahern, Jr. who both predeceased him. Dave was born on June 30, 1941 in Winchester, MA and like generations of Aherns before him, was raised in Woburn, MA. Later in his life, he reflected on how lucky he was to grow up on ‘The Parkway’ with horses, sheep, chickens, and more, tagging along with his sister Anne to various 4-H competitions and horse shows. The Aherns loved their animals, even building them a barn at their Cape house so they could all vacation together.
On the luckiest break of his life, Dave was set up on a blind date with Dolores Mello. People couldn’t fathom why she said yes to a second date, but it was probably his sense of humor—nobody laughed at Dave’s jokes harder than he did. He and Dolores first settled in Chelmsford, MA near the family restaurant (Hayes Steak House, in Billerica), and continued the Ahern tradition of summering in South Dennis, MA, until the summer of 1981 when they crossed the Sagamore Bridge and never came back.
Dave said his time working in sales for L.A.-based Price/Stern/Sloan Publishers was the best 20 years of his working life. Turning down promotions that would have taken him to L.A. and away from his beloved Cape Cod, Dave was a remote worker before it was easy or cool. It was at PSS that he earned the title, “The Trash Man” (later receiving a battlefield commission to “Captain Trash”) because when there was a book that couldn’t be sold, they’d give it to Dave and he could sell it. . After a particularly grueling business trip, Dolores would often find him hanging out in their chicken coop collecting his thoughts. But it was worth it to him for the fun and friendships he made there. Dave and Dolores traveled all over the country with their PSS friends, forming a particularly long-lasting and delightfully juvenile friendship with Steve Wallace (aka “MF” aka “Captain Sales”) and his wife Sue. As was the case with most of his friends, Dave’s PSS friends became part of our family.
Time spent with his family was his favorite, especially his grandkids: Margaret Clancy of South Dennis MA, Caroline Clancy of Medford MA, Linny Clancy of South Dennis, MA, Ellen Clancy of South Dennis, MA, and Lillian and Beatrice Ahern of West Hartford, CT. This also includes the other two fools who married into his shenanigans: Mark Clancy of South Dennis, MA and Monica Ahern of West Hartford, CT, and the man who loved his way into the family, Walter MacNamara of Hingham, MA. A family trip to Sarasota, FL in 2015 to celebrate his 75th birthday and his and Dolores’ 50th anniversary with all the kids and grandkids was a highlight in Dave’s long life. He wore a ‘sh*t-eating grin’ (his words) the entire trip.
Outside of the time spent with his family, Dave’s happiest moments were generally associated with Boats, Beers, and/or Balls (footballs and baseballs to be precise)—sometimes all at the same time. A multi-decade member of Allen Harbor Yacht Club in Harwich Port, many a fishing trip, pleasure cruise, and friendship were launched from those docks. He was a regular at Clancy’s well before his daughter became one (a Clancy, that is); then when that got too fancy he moved ‘church’ to Jack’s 28 Club. Not because he couldn’t afford to buy a beer anywhere he wanted to, but because he just wanted to be with his people.
The truth is Dave had “people” everywhere. To know Dave was to love him. If you spent more than 10 minutes with the guy you just couldn’t help it. He had no enemies and couldn’t hold a grudge in a bucket. Perhaps it was his sense of humor. Or perhaps it was because he was a man driven by unfailing and infectious optimism. Dave’s signature phrase, “not to worry,” captured the essence of his guiding philosophy (and also inspired the name of his first boat, the “Knot to Worry”). Dave wouldn’t deign to tell people, including his own children, how to live their own lives. But he didn’t need to. You couldn’t help but be inspired by the content of his character and the power of his example.
Dave lived a beautiful life, and he provided his family one, inside and out. In Dave’s bubble, there was nothing but peace, love, and harmony in the world. Not because life never threw him punches but because of the way he absorbed them, altered his perspective, and carried on. This is what we will try to do: Carry on. And in doing so honor his legacy.
A memorial service for Dave will be held on Sunday April 24, 2022 at Dennis Union Church, 713 Main St, Dennis, MA, at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please direct donations in Dave’s name to The Cocomutt Shak https://www.cocomutt.org/ or Dogs and Cats of the Dominican Republic https://www.dcdr.org/
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