David Stansbury Interview with Marcia Walsh March 29, 2019
Q: Where did you grow up?
I was born and raised in Morgan City, Louisiana, a town 60 miles south of Baton Rouge with 20 miles of marshland to the Gulf of Mexico. I basically grew up in the swamplands and bayous of South La. It was a wonderful place to grow up, and I have great memories of riding bikes and swimming in the bayou. Both of my parents were also born and raised in Morgan City. I have three sisters, two older and one younger.
My parents and sisters still live in the area, so we visit a couple of times a year. My father was a carpenter, and was in business with my uncles for many years. Later, he worked for the city and is currently retired. He was a hard worker, and instilled a strong work ethic in me. My mother was a stay at home mother until my youngest sister entered school. She then worked as an administrative assistant at a bank, and currently volunteers at the local hospital. Two of my brothers-in-law still work in the oil business, which is big business down south, and my other brother-in-law is a sugar cane farmer, all hard working.
Q: Did you play sports?
My father was a big sports guy, so I played football, basketball and baseball, and I was quite a good shortstop in baseball. After a waterskiing accident at the end of my freshman year (1975), my focus shifted from sports to academics and I became a much better student. When one suffers a loss, life offers 2 choices: curl up or keep going, and I chose the latter with the love and support of my family and friends. I even played baseball again, although not at the same level. Both my wife and I are big football fans, and we make it a point to attend both LSU and Nebraska games yearly. Geaux Tigers!!
Q: Tell us about your education
My high school had approximately 1000 students in it. Although neither of my parents went to college, all four of us attended college and three of us graduated. I went to LSU for 2 years for pre-pharmacy studies and finished up with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, La (1983).
Q: Tell me about your career.
I worked as a pharmacist in Galveston, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When we decided to move to Colorado, my first job was as an IT pharmacist job in Boulder working for a small pharmacy software company, and knew immediately it was a great fit with my skill set and interests. I made a career out of it, and currently consult from home for several clients including a couple of large health services companies.
Q: Tell us about your family.
I met my wife Shelly April 1, 1987. (Yes, April Fools Day. Makes it easy to remember.) My roommate from Galveston days, Chris invited me to go on an annual ski trip with a group of family and friends organized by his father. His father, Jack invited his college roommate, Ted and his daughters. One of those daughters was Shelly. At that year’s “Paapademic” as it was known, Shelly and I hit it off immediately and started a long distance relationship. She moved down to Baton Rouge, where she was a burn trauma nurse and I was working as a hospital pharmacist. We enjoyed vacationing in Colorado for skiing and decided to relocate. We moved to Colorado in January 1990 and were married in September that year at the Flagstaff Amphitheater. Shelly graduated from University of Nebraska Medical Center with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1982) and University of Colorado Denver with Master of Science, Nursing - Clinical Nurse Specialist (2017). Our daughter Savannah was born in 1992, and is a critical care trauma nurse at St. Anthony’s Hospital. Our daughter Sydney was born in 1995, and will graduate May 2019 from the University of New Haven with a Master’s degree in Forensic Technology. Both girls did their undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska. They also both attended RYLA, and Sydney attended Young RYLA as well. Both studied abroad in Italy during college and developed a love for travel, and an appreciation for life in the US and abroad. Savannah now lives in downtown Denver. The girls learned to ski at a very young age and grew up attending the “Paapademic” get-togethers with us and our friends (the next generation) and their children for many years. All 3 ladies of the house are the highlight of my life.
Q: What do you do in your free time?
We love to ski. Last year I skied over 50 days, and have averaged around 30 days a year, since moving to CO. We own a place in Winter Park, which lets us enjoy our passion. Summers are great in WP as well. We enjoy good wine and traveling, especially to Hawaii, Mexico, and Europe. Shelly and I are playing more golf these days as well.
Q: What kind of shoe would you be?
I would be a flip-flop. They are casual and designed for fun.
Q: Where does your desire to give back come from?
My father-in-law was a role model for his community service efforts. He was a member of Rotary serving as President, and an active member in his community and church. He was easy going, generous, and nonjudgmental, all while being a highly successful businessman. Good qualities for anyone to have.
Q: What led you to Rotary?
Both Mark Vickstrom and Doug Turner encouraged me to join. It is a way for me to be involved give back to the community and will provide a direction for my energy after retirement. I feel it is also a great way to direct and magnify our charitable donations, which is why I quickly became a Paul Harris fellow.
Q: What words of wisdom do you have?
Work hard. Give back to what you believe in. Have fun.