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David Haley ’65

David was born in Tacoma, Washington, to Frank and Nellie Haley, and enjoyed a happy childhood with his twin brother, Jonathan, and sister, Janet. He attended Reed and obtained a master’s degree in economics from Pacific Lutheran University.

In 1965, when he was 21, he was paralyzed in a car accident. Using a wheelchair did not deter him from living a full life. He was employed in the Washington State House of Representatives and the Department of Revenue in Olympia and worked for the City of Seattle in the budget office for 25 years.

Having played baseball in high school and college, David loved sports. He served as an assistant basketball coach at PLU, and when his children showed interest in soccer, he too became a fan, coaching women’s soccer at Seattle’s Roosevelt and Franklin high schools for many years. Teaching soccer and life skills to his teenager players was one of the great joys in his life. He was a compassionate man who served on United Way boards, sponsored three Vietnamese families in the 1970s, headed an independent living project at the University of Washington, and worked fervently to feed the homeless in Seattle.

David is survived by his wife of 44 years, Mary Ellen; seven children and their loving partners, Brent (Mitzi), Matthew (Andrea), Jason (Emily), Sean (Michelle), Dung (Lan), Quang (Chi) and Maya (Jamie); and grandchildren. For his last 12 years David was accompanied by Kudo, his devoted service dog, who followed his master into eternity, dying five days later.

Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2016

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