Passing of "Bahama Dave"

Published on 01-15-2013 17:29

6 Comments

David S. Clifton , Jr. Ph. D. passed away on Sunday January 13 at the age of 69.

Dave is best known for inspiring others to follow their dreams. Using his trail name “Bahama Dave” he recently completed a six-year adventure hiking the Appalachian Trial-- reaching Mt Katahdin in Maine on September 14th, 2012. He slept in a hammock, shared experiences with other hikers of all ages, enjoyed the “trail magic” and took magnificent photographs.

He sailed and explored the Bahamas and was the former owner with his father of “The Bahama Star” sailboat leading bareboat sailing and snorkeling trips. His favorite spot was Compass Cay, Exumas.
With his family he planned detailed, exciting adventures that included; a 2011 hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, a bike and barge trip to the Netherlands, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef of Caines Australia, exploring Lake Como and Pompeii, camping at the Grand Tetons and Denali, and learning to surf in Mauri.
Dave volunteered at the Atlanta Community Food Bank, exercised faithfully at the Decatur Dekalb YMCA, and ran the Peachtree RoadRace for over 30 years. He had a wonderful way of connecting with people of all ages and backgrounds.

For his career, he was Director and Principal Research Scientist Emeritus from Georgia Institute of Technology where he worked from 1970-2001. He earned his BA in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech, his MBA and PhD in Economics from Georgia State.

We all benefited from his love of life, contagious positive energy, his laugher, intelligence and leadership. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Eileen, three children Mark, Dana, and Michael, his mother Ruth, and his grandchildren Rajie, Cody, and Lily. A memorial service will take place Sunday June 20th at The Temple at 10:30 am in Atlanta, GA. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the organizations he loved-- the Sierra Club, The Atlanta Community food Bank, or the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

We want to thank all of the hikers who shared time and adventures with him while on the Appalachian Trail. He truly loved his experiences on the trail.

With love,

Eileen, Dana, and Michael (Dave's family)

6 Comments

nitewalker - 01-28-2013, 06:18
- Reply
Rest In Peace Bahama Dave !!!

Boo Boo 2013 - 01-28-2013, 21:13
- Reply
Sorry for your loss. Great picture of Dave smiling on top of Katahdin.

Sanhican - 02-05-2013, 11:00
- Reply
Sorry for your loss. I enjoyed his company along the Trail this year. We shared campsites and he shared his rum liquour with us as we made toast's, using our water bottle tops, to the Trail, good company, & Life. The last time I saw Bahama Dave was Sept 14 at the AT Cafe in Millinocket, ME. He had summitted earlier that day and was all smiles. Happy Trails to Bahama Dave on that next adventure we all must take.

BitBucket - 02-08-2013, 22:01
- Reply
Dave was my boss when I worked at the Georgia Tech Research Institute back in the late 1980s. He was a first class guy. Very sorry to hear about his passing. He will be missed!

fins1838 - 02-14-2013, 12:18
- Reply
He has summitted the ultimate peak. RIP B.D.

algrimmett - 02-14-2013, 20:34
- Reply
So sorry to read this. "Bahama Dave" trail-named my hiking buddy and me "Steak N Shake" in 2009. We are still working our way north, but carry his legacy with us.