David Llewellyn Bailey was born January 16‚ 1962‚ in Homestead‚ Pennsylvania. Dave started his career with the Los Angeles County Fire Department in September 1994. He was proud and honored to be a fire captain serving his community and being a part of the ‘brotherhood.’ We teased him that if he bled it was not red but ‘County Blue.’ His first love was the fire department–anything‚ everything‚ all in or nothing at all. He had a thirst for knowledge. He was goal oriented. He was a perfectionist at work and at home. He had vision as to where his career would lead him. He had a good sense of humor and believed that in 18 years he was still a ‘Boot.’ When teaching the new recruits‚ Dave took it seriously. He once said‚ ‘We have a responsibility to teach them greatness. These young men and women will carry the legacy.’
Dave had an impressive resume‚ and his accomplishments included Firefighter 1994-2002‚ Engineer 2002-2009‚ and Fire Captain 2009-2012. He was certified in USAR‚ CAMP Foreman‚ HAZMAT‚ HAZMAT Certified Instructor‚ HAZMAT Recruit Instructor‚ Explorer Academy Instructor‚ Swift Water Rescue‚ Homeland Security‚ and FEMA TEAM‚ including deployments in 2005 to Hurricane Katrina‚ Louisiana‚ and in 2011 to Earthquake & Tsunami Ofunato‚ Japan.
Dave’s second love was his wife‚ Lisa. He was a loving husband with a high moral compass that was to be admired. He always had a smile. When not at work he enjoyed his days off at home with his three dogs‚ Lola‚ Easy and Hanna‚ known at the fire station as ‘The Kids.’
Dave had his hands into everything. Life for him was about ‘today’ and enjoying the journey. Dave was passionate about many things. He loved traveling with his wife‚ riding his Harley Davidson‚ restoring his ’69 Plymouth Roadrunner‚ but mostly he enjoyed camping in the desert and riding his dirt bike with good friends. He loved to BBQ and share his homemade whiskey and a cigar with whomever he was with.
He had a beautiful smile and bright blue eyes. His heart was as big and bright as the moon. He would call home and end each night from the fire house with‚ ‘I love you to the moon and back.’ He will be terribly missed in our lives‚ but will never be forgotten. Our memories will be the reflection of his beautiful life.
He is survived by his wife‚ family‚ and friends.
I can’t believe how much I miss you! You would have been 54 last Saturday, and I thought of you a lot that day. I think of you in odd moments, and wish we could have had that “mending of fences” you spoke of the last time you called me.
Now you’re with Dad, and Mom made it there too, just a couple of years after you passed.
– Mary Jane Bailey-BonillaDave and I worked at Disneyland together and we were roommates while I attended Cal State University Fullerton. He was one of the nicest, most genuine people I have ever known and always had a smile and funny comment. He popped into my head this morning and I looked him up. I’m very sorry to see this sad news. But as I know Dave, he wouldn’t want any sadness. You are missed.
John Stremel
– john stremelTo my childhood friend. I Was thinking about you in this moment, and all the great times we had as kid’s and teenagers growing up. We were the best of friends, and as we became young adults our lives began to move in different directions, but I never forgot about you, and from time to time we would keep in touch. But a good amount of time had passed and I was trying to reach out again, when I suddenly heard of your passing. It was devastating that I didn’t get to talk to you one last time. You will be forever missed, your childhood friend, Jay
– Jay DeMicco