Obituary of David Alfred VanAmburg

David A. VanAmburg, age 79, of Horseheads, NY passed away at home on Saturday, December 10th, 2022. David was born in Watkins Glen, NY on December 28th, 1942, the son of the late William and Lena (Colunio) VanAmburg. He graduated from Watkins Glen High School in 1962 and served in the US. Air Force from 1962 to 1966. He married MaryAnn Gay on August 1st, 1965 in Watkins Glen. He worked as the superintendent of packaging at US Salt Co. (formerly Akzo Salt Co.) for 30 years, retiring in 1997. Upon his retirement he drove bus for the Horseheads School District for a couple of years. He was a member of Horseheads Methodist Church. David was an avid runner having completed The Wineglass Marathon and The Boston Marathon several times, as well as, running in local 5K's. This love for running started when he ran track in high school. In addition to running, he added cycling and rode all over counties wide. During his high school years, he worked at Johnny's Lanes as a pin setter. This love of bowling carried into his adult life. He and MaryAnn traveled throughout NYS competing in tournaments. Upon retirement, Dave and MaryAnn became snowbirds in their beloved "Bounder" to enjoy sunny Florida. Much to MaryAnn's chagrin, that Bounder and Dave never missed a Bluegrass Festival. He had a love for all kinds of music and his vinyl and cd collection is too numerous to mention. David's love for his country was displayed everywhere he was. The American Flag could be found in his barn, garage, t-shirts, living room, and on and on. According to him, the greatest baseball team of all time was The Yankees. Jim is a Boston Red Sox fan and the banter between the two was hysterical. Along with the Yankees, the greatest football team was the 49'ers. And in true fashion, they won against the Buc's when they weren't supposed to. Some things we will miss is Dad's glue jobs "Let 'er slide", his calls to Jim when it snowed to ask how much he got (Dad always had more), his "expertise" of what roads to take when traveling- we never seemed to do it right. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports and often times we'd have to remind him they were kids and not professionals. Poppa-we hope you have endless Pepsi, Pizza, black jelly beans, bubble gum and Fig Newtons. We Love You! Dad lived large, had definite opinions, Loved Us in his way that we didn't always understand. His heart truly never left Watkins Glen and his beloved Seneca Lake. David is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, MaryAnn (Gay) VanAmburg; daughter, Dawn (John) Nasakaitis of Horseheads; son, James (Katy) VanAmburg of Centre Hall, PA; four grandchildren, Jakob Nasakaitis, Mackensie (Cole) Berry, Emma Latchet, and Ava VanAmburg; two great grandchildren, Waylen and Callum Berry; sister, Nancy (Denny) Rodabaugh of Watkins Glen; brother, Joe VanAmburg of Sarasota, FL; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, David was predeceased by his son, Michael David in 1969 and brothers, Jack, Tom and Ted. A private graveside service with military honors will be held at the convenience of his family at Pleasant View Cemetery in Reading Center, NY. In lieu of flowers, David would be honored if memorial contributions were made in his memory to any Veteran's organization of one's choice. Memories of David may be shared with his family and friends at haugheywoodzinger.com