I remember on one of many visits to Deborah we were leaving for the day and felt a little bad doing so... I had to return back upstairs to gather a jacket we had forgotten in Daves room and returning upstairs finding Dave laughing at the end of his bed smiling with his roommate and a few of the nurse staff playing cards. I asked him smiling how he was doing, and he just looked up at me like this didnt go on when we left haha! It was like the scene at the end of "Easy Money" with Rodney Dangerfield ripping off his suit and playing cards in the basement with all the guys having a beer, smoke and pizza. He could always schmooze the staff and make friends in a hospital and teach a few fun cards games to pass the time along the way....

Aside from a few trips to Florida, my Dad never took a real vacation during my lifetime with him. However, he was the king of spontaneity. He would pile us into one of the many station wagons we had thru the years, and drive "wherever the road would take us" (which was usually somewhere in Pennsylvania). In the summer of 1990, we set out on another excursion. That day we headed to Norristown to the Pagoda, cruised by the Brubaker museum, made a pitstop at the smorgasbord in Collegeville and reached our final destination...on a farm, in a barn, sitting on hay bales in the middle of nowhere. We listened to huckleberry band pluck on some banjos while we did a little squaredancing of our own. From that point on whenever my Dad asked if we wanted to take a ride, I'd respons, "Out to the middle of nowhere to sit on some hay?" I wish I would have told him how special those trips were to me. The memories we created were better than any planned vacation.

Posted by Patricia

Monday August 1, 2011 at 6:56 pm

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To the Daughters & Sons of David Clawson. Please accept my deepest condolences in the passing of your Dad. David who was a true Friend to all who knew him. He was loved by everyone and I shall miss talking to him.

Dear Tricia, David, Michael and Jennifer, Your dad truly had a heart of gold! Once you became his friend, you were a friend for life! It didn't matter how long it had been since you saw one another; you just picked up from where you left off at. Dave had the greatest personality and sense of humor!! I never knew where he was going to jump out of or what joke he was going to tell. He always treated me like a kid sister; he will be missed a lot. I know that you are feeling a great loss but I hope you can find some comfort knowing that he is finally at peace with Kevin. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you and if you need anything just call. Love "Radar", John and Sean

Dad, You never cease to amaze me. Thank you for being a wonderful father and friend to me. I miss you so much already. There is a void in my heart and in my life that can never be filled. Some of the most important parts of you will live on not only through your children, but through your children's children. You created a legacy of greatness. Thank you for everything, the little things and the big things, and the things we'll never even know about. You were always a hero to me. I love you, always and forever.

Mr Clawson I hope that you are now happy if you are with Kevin, and that you are without any limitations to your mind and body so that the two of you can once again laugh and do whatever it is you have missed out on the past few years.... I owe you all of my recent and future happiness for making the most beautiful daughter, woman, and wife in the world.....

Our sincere condolences go to the Clawson Family at this time of sadness. May God bless his family and give them peace.

David Cannella made a donation to Deborah Hospital Foundation, NJ Region