David Robert Elemen
Passed: June 30, 2020
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David Robert Elemen
Passed: June 30, 2020
Obituary
David Robert Elemen, age 43, of Phoenix, AZ passed away on June 30, 2020. He was born on April 25, 1977 in San Jose, California.
David moved his family to Arizona 18 years ago from California to start a new life and be closer to his older brother, Michael. He began working at Western Container as soon as he moved to AZ and worked there for 18 years, working his way up to Manager. He was well respected and will be greatly missed by all.
Our David was an amazing man, father, grandfather, son, brother, uncle, nephew, coach, and friend! He was loving, caring, dedicated, fun, and a little bit crazy, lol….but most of all he had a huge heart, a good heart, such a beautiful soul, he was there for everyone, not just his family!
David loved his children and grandchildren more than life itself, and was dedicated to them. He was so proud of them.
David was a die hard Raiders and SF Giants fan!! The guys in the family had an annual Raider game every year, it was a huge event they all looked forward to. He spent many Sundays at his brother Michaels watching games together with everyone, but stay clear if they lost haha!! Many liked to give him a bad time about his teams, especially his Raiders, but he gave as good as he got.
Since he was a little boy he has always loved fishing and baseball cards. Even though he was grown, his mom and dad would still put some baseball card packs in his stocking every year for Xmas.
He had a love and passion for coaching his girls in softball. They played from the time they were in elementary school, all the way through college. They traveled a lot of places together for softball, the three of them. Those are precious memories his girls will cherish. David was a beloved coach to many.
He was a prankster, a kid at heart. He would get this look on his face (he had this little laugh too) as he was being mischievous. Just this last birthday, all he wanted to do was have a big water balloon fight for his party, so that’s what he did. He had so much fun with his girls and all his friends! His children, Geaky,(the way her daddy spelled it) Beanie and Stephen have so many stories from their childhood. One story that Stephen shared was: the kids would be sitting on the couch watching tv with their dad and all of a sudden, he would yell out “Alright kids…ZigZag” and the kids had to jump up and run. David would chase them all around the house with the air soft gun, that was just him, a big kid at heart. There are so many stories, moments, and memories to share and hold onto through this unimaginable time of grief.
All the kids just loved him, whether they were family or not. He was that guy, Uncle David, to all of them, the one that got them the crazy gifts parents wouldn’t buy. It made him so happy! He would get that look…..his smile was infectious!
David loved his motorcycles and being involved with the motorcycle club.
He loved his hats, especially his straw hats! And you rarely saw him without a styrofoam cup in his hand from the QT, sometimes with a four loco, it was one of his favorites!
If you were part of David’s life, you knew the unconditional love he had for you. He would do anything for his family and friends, his extended family….all the people he loved, even complete strangers. He loved hard, and he played hard!
David touched so many hearts. He is loved beyond words, and will be missed more than words can ever describe. Our families Circle of Life will forever be broken and missing him. He will forever be in our hearts and with us.
He is survived by his daughters Angelique and Sabrina Elemen, his son Stephen Medrano, his granddaughter Trinity Kannegaard, grandson Ridley Medrano, his sisters Teresa Chan (Tom), Michelle Millard (Jason), Laura Esqueda (Richard), Roberta Elemen, Connie Rodriguez, his brothers Michael Zaragoza (Jessica), Anthony Elemen, Brandon Zaragoza, his Momma Cheryl Zaragoza, his Dad Joe Zaragoza, his father David Elemen and numerous other family members, including nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
He is preceded in death by his nephew Leonidas Oakley, uncle Dennis Ilfeld, uncle Abe Elemen, grandfather James Ilfeld.
I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be!
Momma loves you more my son❤️
A private service will be held in Arizona due to COVID-19 and a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date in California.
10 responses to David Robert Elemen
Shirley Torres says:
July 19, 2020
To my sister and brother in law you two did an amazing job raising some even more AMAZING children and David was just that. It truly breaks my heart knowing he is gone I will miss his smile and his laugh and my heart goes out to you two as well as the rest of the family..
I will be thinking of you all day by day praying for your hearts to heal ♥️
Know that I love you all with all my heart…and David I will miss you so and I love you very much aunt Shirley and uncle Fred
anonymous says:
January 13, 2022
My beautiful boy I miss your smile, your laugh, your mischievous little looks, your kind loving heart, your craziness, your messages and phone calls, your hugs, your stories, your selfies with your girls just for me, your presence, I miss you with every part of my soul my heart is so broken the sadness is all consuming even a year later. How is it possible over a year has passed, time has continued on, but I still feel as though I’m in that moment when I got the devastating news. My world changed forever that day. I feel no comfort when people tell me your in a better place and I will see you again someday…I know they mean well and are trying to help but NO…. I want you here now, here with me and with your beautiful girls and family …. I want you here , I want to feel your hugs and hear your laugh and hear you say “hey momma I just wanted to tell you I love you” I was not ready to say goodbye, we had so many more moments to share and memories to make, your princesses still need you so much…it’s so unfair I will never understand why this happened to you my son! I feel your presence with me and I have gotten many signs that you are with me, with us, and I treasure them and they give me great comfort, thank you my son❤️I woke up a year ago on that Tuesday morning and read your Facebook post to me that you were home safe from your Florida ride and I smiled and felt such a relief and told myself I was going to call you that night and bug you even though you would be tired, I never got to make that call instead I received the call that evening about your accident it felt unreal then and still feels unreal! I love you to infinity and more always my beautiful boy, love mom
anonymous says:
January 13, 2022
My beautiful boy Happy 44th Birthday
I remember this day like it was yesterday, the day I held you in my arms for the first time. After 36 hours of labor, all 9lbs 7 1/2 oz of you. Once they gave you to me, those 36 hours just faded away. You looked like you were already over a month old, looking at me holding your lil head up like “hi momma.” I was a baby having a baby, I needed you as much as you needed me. You made my world so much better, you made me better.
Everyday I wake up and hope this is all a bad dream. I would give anything to hold you in my arms again, tell you I love you and everything will be ok. But I know I can’t and the heartbreak and sadness I feel is more than I can bare some days.
So many different random memories constantly running through my mind.
Like how you never traveled anywhere without your little spray bottle with water to get the wrinkles out of your clothes; how you always had a floss stick with you or in your mouth; how you loved beef jerky; how you always took Trinity to Chuckee Cheese and played the games with her; how you always called me momma and would say “its your shithead son”; how as soon as you came home to see us you couldn’t wait to get to your favorite taco truck with the girls; how you made the best lime and salt ice cold beer ever, my favorite, because you made it, I’m not even a beer drinker, but it was always soooo good; how you would take pickles out to the softball fields for the girls practices on crazy hot days to help with dehydration; how you always had to stop at the QT for a drink in the big styrofoam cup; how you loved to wrestle with the kids and be an instigater; how you were there with your geak holding her hand and comforting her before her shoulder surgery; how you always put so much thought into gifts for all the kids and always got the cool stuff; how you would go to MCDonalds early in the morning at least one time every trip,when we were all in AZ staying at Michael’s and pick up a ton of McD’s for everyone; how you made hot chocolate for everyone the year we went to Sedona to take family pictures because it was freezing and snowing; how last Mother’s Day you got up super early to text dad to ask about my favorite coffee so you could have Starbucks delivered to me with every flavor cake pop to start my day; how you would send me texts, messenger me and leave me voicemails just to say “I love you momma”; how you drove Sabrina all over town in HB to make sure she had the dress she wanted for Cathrines wedding; how you would just get that look and that beautiful smile!
I could go on forevvvvver, so many moments and memories, and yet not enough time, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye, I didn’t get to say goodbye, I wanted to make more memories, I wasn’t ready to live this life without you, none of us were ready for that. We never will be.
I love how you were always you, bigger than life, full of love, so funny and a lil bit crazy.
You my son, we’re an incredible father and son, brother and friend, I couldn’t be prouder of the boy you were and the man you became. You were happy and that made me so happy.
Being a father to your princesses brought you so much happiness and pride from the day they were born. Everyone knew they were your whole world!
It’s been unbearable not being able to talk and text with you about your birthday. You would always tell me “it’s ok momma I don’t need anything I’m good” and I would say I know but there’s gotta be something you want or need. I never knew what treasure you had found that you were going to tell me about. There was nothing I wouldn’t have done or gotten for you, no matter how big or small, because I knew if you told me about something, you really wanted it and it was important to you. It could be something as simple as a tshirt, but whatever it was, there was something special about it and it meant something to you.
So today we celebrate you my son through all the tears my beautiful boy I will miss you forever I love you more forever and always❤️
Your Momma
anonymous says:
July 5, 2022
I knew David when I worked at Western Container. He was a so helpful and thoughtful. A true gentleman. I left my job but never stopped thinking about all the great times we had. I will never forget him.