David Bruce "Dave" Curington, 40, died from brain cancer Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012, in Rapid City.

Dave was born Oct. 23, 1972, at Ellsworth, AFB, to Bruce and Rachel Curington. Despite living in other states while a young boy, after coming back to Rapid City while in junior high, Dave always thought of the Black Hills and South Dakota as home. After graduating from Stevens High School, Dave attended the University of SD in Vermillion for a year and a half before transferring to Black Hills State University in Spearfish, graduating in 1998.

1998 was a good year for Dave - he met his wife Lindsay in December 1998. David and Lindsay were married March 15, 2000, in Rapid City. After a couple years of marriage, David moved back to Vermillion with his family to attend Law School at USD. He graduated from Law School in 2005, was admitted to the South Dakota State Bar, and began work as an Assistant Public Defender for Pennington County. David was a committed advocate for his clients, and believed in the importance of his role in the legal process. He was especially proud of his work with the JDIA in South Dakota, which created a process to find alternatives to juvenile detention. In 2012 he was recognized for his dedication to improving the lives of children by the Western South Dakota Child Protection Council.

David was a musician for most of his life; as an adult he always found a band that needed a bass player! Most recently he was a member of the Jolly Llamas and with them played in Art Alley almost every Thursday of Summer Nights. In addition to music, Dave loved to drive anywhere and everywhere in the Black Hills, to read all genres of books, to garden and take photos of his flowers, and to kayak on the reservoirs of the Black Hills. In September 2012, he went with friends to the Boundary Waters of Northern Minnesota and paddled 32 miles with 28 portages on 24 lakes.

David is survived by his wife, Lindsay Curington, Rapid City; his children, Indigo, Dusk, and Eldon, of Rapid City; his parents, Bruce and Rachel Curington, Rapid City; brother, Dale Curington, sister-in-law, Mindy Curington, and nieces and nephews, Heather, Brett, Laurel, Patrick, and Grant of Omaha, NE; his sister, Jennifer Godwin, brother-in-law, Scott Godwin, and nieces Jessica and Mary of Dripping Springs, TX; parents-in-law, Lynette and Wendell Jahner; and brother-in-law, Robert Jahner, Colorado Springs.

A memorial service will occur in the future.

Thank you to all the friends, co-workers, colleagues, nurses, doctors, and family that showed their love, support, and care for Dave during the two years he lived since his initial diagnosis of brain cancer.