James David Briscoe passed away at the age of 76 on November 12, at the Santa Fe home he shared with his devoted wife, Cheri.
David was born July 9, 1945, in Tucumcari, NM, to James and Harriet Briscoe. He grew up on Air Force bases in Japan, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, California, and Kansas. As a young man, David spent six years fixing electronics and playing poker in the US Navy, which carried him to distant ports on the Atlantic and Mediterranean. He spent the rest of his many years living in Santa Fe, where he was widely known and well-liked for his quick humor and his way of reminding everyone that they’ve got stories worth sharing and ideas worth hearing. To David, strangers were always just friends waiting to be discovered.
For over four decades, David repaired and installed a bewildering array of computers, machines, and telecommunications equipment in banks and other businesses in seemingly every county of New Mexico (and a few in Colorado). Sometimes a job required spending eight hours on the road to fix a one-hour problem. David always took it in stride.
Cheri and David first met in the late 1970s at the Bank of Santa Fe, where he serviced check sorters and teller machines. Cheri remembers enjoying David’s jokes and stories even then. In 1990, they became a couple, and they married in 1995. They travelled extensively with family and friends.
David’s interests included science fiction (especially Star Trek), aviation, dancing, traveling, and singing along to whatever song was on the radio, in a surprisingly high voice for such a big man. The adoptive dad of more than a few stray and second-hand cats and dogs, he had a soft spot for furry friends.
He taught his kids how to drive, how to build, how to be patient, and how to prepare cinnamon toast the right way—in a toaster oven, with the butter, cinnamon, and sugar forming a perfect caramelized crust on top. David’s grandchildren remember him for watching Dr. Who with them, sharing his love of science fiction, taking an interest in their lives, showing them how to think about things from different angles, his easygoing nature, and bringing jokes and laughter wherever he went.
David is survived by his wife, Cheri; their children, Rachelle (Sandra), Patrick (Sarah), Katie (Christian), and Lisa (Maurizio); grandchildren Emily, Hans (Angel), Arthur, Sofia, Liam, and David; his sisters Donna and Karen (Joe); his niece Joanna (Gareth) and nephew Jeffrey (Lauren); and his close cousins Mark, Jay (Julie), Kristen, Eric (Kelly), and Jeff (Sandy).
David will be interred in the Santa Fe National Cemetery at 12:45 on December 27, and memorial plans will be announced when finalized.
Donations may be made to the following charities in honor of David:
https://www.artsmartnm.org/
ARTsmart NM's mission is to ensure access to quality arts education for all youth in Santa Fe and northern New Mexico's public schools
www.honorflightnorthernnm.org
Honor Flight of No. NM is a 501c-3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing Veterans with honor and closure by taking them free of charge to reflect up on their memorials in Washington, D.C
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