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| Several members of the Ogdensburg Fire
Department recently attended a brief ceremony in memory of David Margeson held
at the Spruce Street IRA. The ceremony included the unveiling of two shrubs,
appropriately named fire chief arborvitaes and a small plaque. From left,
Ogdensburg City Firefighters Jack Lake and Brian Sias, Peayton Stark, who wrote
an essay earning a grant for the IRA where David lived, Spruce Street IRA
Residential Manager Karen Howie, and Ogdensburg City Firefighters Scott
McCormick, Brian Kirby and Aaron Charlton. |
When David Margeson first came to United Helpers in
August of 2007, he arrived with a shoebox containing his personal belongings –
some magazines, family photos, a few dollar bills and several toy firetrucks.
As he began to adjust to his new surroundings, it
didn’t take staff at the Kendrew IRA in Rensselaer Falls very long to realize
that David loved both firetrucks and firefighters.
According to Spruce Street IRA Residential Manager
Karen Howie, he would eventually become an honorary member of the Rensselaer
Falls Volunteer Fire Department. He would help wash trucks and even ride in
them with other members of the department during parades.
In 2018 David moved to the McIntyre IRA and in 2020
he moved into the Spruce Street IRA in Ogdensburg. Those two moves just
introduced him to more firefighters to become friends with.
In fact, when he celebrated his 85th
birthday, a party was held in his honor. In attendance was a truck from the
Ogdensburg Fire Department along with several members of the city’s fire
department.
Just over a month later, David would pass away.
“Every time David saw a fire truck his face would
light up,” Mrs. Howie said. “Sometimes when David was having a bad day, he
would even pull the fire alarm at the IRA, which of course would sound the
alarms and then the local fire department would show up. A smile would begin to
creep across his face as he could hear the sirens and then when the truck
pulled up, his day would instantly turn around.”
It was while living in Ogdensburg that David met
Peayton Stark. Peayton’s mother, Colleen Stark is a Medical Direct Support Professional
(MDSP), and she would often bring Peayton to visit with program members.
“During those visits Peayton developed a special
bond with David,” Mrs. Howie said.
This bond led her to write an essay nominating
United Helpers for a $1,000 grant through the Northern New York Community
Foundation’s Youth Giving Challenge.
In that essay she wrote, “I would like to donate to the IRA in Ogdensburg, because I
have a really good connection with some of the residents there and the
employees,” she wrote. “This one resident is so nice; he always called my
sister and me ‘his girls.’”
Her essay was selected and in memory of David,
United Helpers used a portion of the grant to purchase two shrubs to plant at
the IRA. Those plants, appropriately titled fire chief arborvitaes, were
planted in the home’s front yard adjacent to a small monument, which of course
includes a picture of a fire truck.
The monument reads, “In Memory of David Margeson, a
Friend & Inspiration to us all. 1938-2023.
Prior to the unveiling of the monument, both Mrs.
Howie and David’s Advocate Stacey Cannizzo recalled David and the impact he had
their lives, as well as those around him.
“One thing I’ll always remember about David is how
much people loved him and how much he loved people,” Mrs. Cannizzo said. “Today
is a testament to what David stood for which is family and friends.”
While his brother Paul was unable to attend the
unveiling, David did have many friends in attendance, including staff who had
cared for him, fellow program members and several members of the Ogdensburg
Fire Department, who of course arrived in a shiny red fire truck with lights
and sirens, just the way David would have liked.
