David Michael McDargh

McDargh, David Michael, 78, was born June 1st, 1939, to Kenneth (Shandu) and Lucille McDargh. His distinctive view of life and his tremendous compassion was formed, to a great extent, by his loving family. These qualities also owe something to the "extended family" that lived nearby; the 40 nuns who lived on the left side of the family residence and the priests who occupied the rectory on the other side. David's life was shaped by this location from an early age. Looking through the bars of his crib, he could see the striking beauty of the stained-glass windows of St. Raphael. As a toddler, David and his sister, Patty, would play on the church grounds. In 1946, he was invited to be baptized Catholic, a moment that put him on a path to many cherished life events. David graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1957 and went on to study for the priesthood at the Athenaeum of Ohio. He spoke fondly of his days in the seminary and the camaraderie he shared with classmates. He returned to Springfield to teach in the Catholic school system, first at his sponsoring parish, St. Raphael, then at St. Mary, and finally at St. Teresa. It was there, at Father Collins' request, David developed the St. Teresa Boys Choir. He was extremely proud of his student's musical accomplishments, and to this day friends will recall the choir's appearance on the Bob Braun Show or mention that they still have their vinyl album, "The Joys of My Youth." David developed a lot of close relationships in the St. Teresa family, and he often referred to his teaching experience there as "teaching in Disneyland" because everything was so perfect. When school would let out for the summer, he was known for loading up his VW van and taking students all over the country for many weeks at a time. In the mid-1970's, David's compassion and skills at mentoring led him to work with delinquent and troubled youth, starting at the Clark County Juvenile Court and later operating Madison Avenue Group Home. David and his dedicated friend Jeanine Reiter worked tirelessly for many years changing the lives of many young men. In addition to his direction of the choir and his outreach efforts with at-risk youth, David operated Yorke Galleries just off High Street. He enjoyed being the Gertrude Stein of Springfield, bringing together artists, poets, and other free spirits to share the excitement of creating. This Renaissance man also catered events in the early 1980's, and when David realized he enjoyed creating décor more than preparing food, he co-founded Ambience Event Design. For close to 25 years, he grew a unique business devoted entirely to designing and building decor for corporate and social functions in the Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati markets. The successful combination of David's adventurous spirit and just a dash of naiveté' helped to bring to fruition, an unusual business - one that should never have worked in Springfield -actually prosper. David had a passion for traveling Europe and the U.S., but he also loved Springfield and the friendships he established here. His Irish wit and gift for late-night storytelling are already missed, and they will continue to be in the days, months, and years to come. David is survived by his soul mate, business partner, and companion of 37 years Rick Benning. His sisters, Patty and Elwood McCutcheon of Florida, Lucinda and James Myer of North Carolina, Vicki Conley of Enon, and Catherine McDargh and Jo Terrell of Oregon, and numerous nephews, nieces, and dedicated friends. David is preceded in death by life-long friend Jeanine Reiter. A celebration of David's life is planned for his 79th birthday on June 1, 2018.