David Travis was a pilot

David Wilson Travis, 73, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2021 at his home on Douglas Lake, Michigan. 

Dave was born on November 14, 1947 in Bluffton, Ohio to Eloise (Kellogg) and Dr. Boyd Travis. He attended Bluffton schools, Culver Military Academy and graduated from Baldwin Wallace University where he played football. 

Dave served in the Air Force in Vietnam and later retired after a career as a pilot with American Airlines. 

Dave lived a very active life. He was a very competitive sailor who loved sailing and made sure the Douglas Lake Sunfish races were ready on Saturday afternoons. He also loved skiing, biking and traveling the world. He had an extensive collection of historic model trains, a hobby he inherited from his father. 

Dave was most at home on Douglas Lake. He loved teaching kids how to water ski, and prided himself on always getting his students up on skis. While he enjoyed the ski boat, his favorite boat was a little 12-footer in which he and his wife Barb would putter around the lake in. 

Dave was a generous, loving man, and he will be missed more than words can say. 

He is survived by his wife Barbara of 39 years; his daughter Beth (Scott) Lauer; his siblings Jack Travis and Betsey Angus; his brother-in-law John (JoAnne) Davis and Robert (Lisa) Davis; and many nieces and nephews. 

Dave is preceded in death by his parents and sister Marcia Kilgore. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Cheboygan Humane Society and Hospice of Michigan-Gaylord location, 145 North State Avenue, Alpena, Michigan 49707. 

A celebration of his life will be held in the summer of 2022 at Douglas Lake.

Arrangements are in the care of Stone Funeral Home, Inc. of Petoskey, Michigan.