David William Arber

Of Woodbridge, VA passed away at home on Sunday, September 10, 2017, surrounded by family, after a long battle with cancer. David is survived by his parents, Mary and Arthur Kevin Arber, brother Kevin Arber and sister Susan Crabtree.

David graduated in 1988 with a BA from the University of Maryland and spent his career in mapping and geographic intelligence. He started work at the Defense Mapping Agency in 1989, staying with the organization as it evolved to finally become the National Geospatial Agency (NGA). During his career he worked in both supervisory and management positions, ultimately reaching the band IV level as a program manager. He retired from NGA in 2016.

David was an avid strategy gamer and participated in games weekly with other gamers over the internet. Dave often hosted a small group of gamers from his home, where they gathered around his gaming table, and using a Skype connection, played for most of a Saturday. He was a military history aficionado with a special interest in armor. He owned a rather complete library of military history books housed in a spare bedroom. Co-workers, studying for advanced degrees often consulted with him or borrowed his texts.

His other hobbies were miniature figure painting and baking. His figures decorated his home. His co-workers looked forward to his baking delicacies, especially the insomnia brownies that arrived in the office still warm at 6:30AM.

Dave was an animal lover. His favorite was his black cat Della, for which he had many humorous stories.

Dave enjoyed his nieces and nephews immensely. He was always the favorite uncle at family get-togethers. He looked forward to the family reunion each year at Watts Bar Lake in Tennessee, where he would sport his battered straw hat while driving the pontoon boat.

Dave was a movie buff, enjoying both TV and big screen movies. Always up to date on the latest release or series, he would tape them for viewing with other family members when they visited the town house, also known as the Troll Tower.

During his bout with cancer he kept his good humor and reached out to his fellow cancer patients. He was always ready to help and encourage them during the long hours of chemo treatment and hospital stays. He stayed on the attack throughout the treatment process, religiously following his Doctors’ instructions and following up with the ordered tests and scans. Dave applied for clinical trials however hospitalizations precluded his entry; after being discharged the last time he entered hospice care at his home on August 30, 2017.

Family and friends are invited to gather at the Gary L. Kaufman Funeral Home at Meadowridge Memorial Park, Inc., 7250 Washington Boulevard, Elkridge, MD 21075 ( exit 6 off Rt. 100 south) on Thursday from 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 8 pm where a Celebration of Life Funeral Service will be held on Friday, September 15, 2017 at 12:30 pm. Interment Meadowridge Memorial Park, Elkridge, MD.