TRYLA LARSON
Guest Writer
tryla@lbknews.com
The Longboat Key community members are just as wonderful as the island itself. So many residents of our piece of paradise volunteer their time to help make the community a better place to live and/or visit.
This month we would like to recognize Father Dave Marshall. Father Marshall is the Priest at the Episcopal Church, All Angels by the Sea on Longboat Key. Dave is so much more that just a Priest. He is a son, husband, father, father-in-law, friend, mentor, sounding board, a shoulder to cry on, a connector, and a pillar of the community. He always goes the extra mile for people.
A great example is how he is someone that people go to when they need a referral to a painter, roofer, doctor, attorney, HVAC person, photographer, insurance person, florist, mortgage lender, and realtor to name a few.
Dave didn’t just sit idle waiting to meet people over time. He actually joined a business networking group and sought out contractors, vendors, and other businesses, meeting as many people as he could so that when someone came to him with a need, he would know exactly who to connect them with. He tirelessly gives everything he has to his community, spending hours visiting people in hospitals, giving blessings to people and pets, volunteering his time and abilities to nonprofits helping children in need, serving time on the Safety Commission which regulated speed limits and parking rules for the 12th largest city in California, and people who are down on their luck.
I asked Fr. Dave a few questions about himself to help everyone to get to know him better.
What motivated you to