David Alan Veasy 

David was born on July 15, 1953, in Sturgis, Michigan, to the late Floyd “Doc” and Lois (Blood) Veasy. He graduated from Sturgis High School in 1971. Drawn to the water from an early age, he pursued his passion by attending the Coastal School of Diving in Oakland, California, where he trained as a commercial deep-sea diver, graduating in July 1972.

Following graduation, David briefly worked in Alpena with Pan Oceanic Engineering before heading to the East Coast to join International Underwater Contracting Corporation. There, he helped lay a power line across the Long Island Sound. On Dec. 24, 1974, he survived a life-threatening diving accident when his umbilical line became trapped. Forced to cut himself free, he reached the surface without a pulse and not breathing. Thanks to the swift actions of his crew, he was revived in a decompression chamber. He would later recount the experience simply: “I died once.”

After recovering, David continued his career with remarkable resilience, spending two years performing saturation dives in the North Sea on oil rig platforms off the coast of Scotland. His deepest dive was to 830 ft. In 1976, he returned to Alpena and became a partner in Pan Oceanic Engineering alongside Bob and Mark Massey. Together they preserved the honor and history of the Great Lakes through commercial salvaging. They also provided the only dive chamber in northern Michigan for many years and saved many lives from boating and diving accidents.

It was during this time that a simple conversation changed the course of his career. On a particularly cold day to dive, looking up to a ship’s wheelhouse, he asked the captain how much he earned on this job. When told, “a dollar an hour less than you–and get to stay up here warm, in a tee shirt, drinking coffee” David set his sights on becoming a captain. He earned his first Master of Towing Vessels license on April 9, 1979, and maintained it through eight renewals, with his final license expiring in 2018.

In 1982, David joined Durocher Dock and Dredge in Cheboygan, which later became Durocher Marine, a division of Kokosing Inc. He remained with the company until his retirement in September 2017.

Throughout his career, Captain Veasy worked as both a diver and captain across an extraordinary range of waters, including all of the Great Lakes, the East and West Coasts, Lake Tahoe, Lake Champlain, the Mississippi River, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the Caribbean, including the Virgin Islands and Antigua. His work in marine construction helped build harbors, break walls, water intake systems, and underwater power lines. In recognition of his exceptional work on the berthing area for the historic US Brig Niagara in Erie Harbor, Pennsylvania, he was awarded the Commander’s Award for Public Service from the Department of the Army.

He was a proud founding member of the International Shipmasters Association Local 19 in Alpena. He also was a long-standing member of the National Museum of the Great Lakes, Marine Historical Society of Detroit, Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, NRA and MyMichigan Health Foundation of Alpena.

On Dec. 21, 1985, David married his soulmate, Tammy Marsh. Together they shared 40 wonderful years filled with love, family, and adventure. David was known for his “sea stories,” his love of ice fishing on the inland lakes around his home, and occasionally in front of his house on Lake Huron, when conditions allowed. He thoroughly enjoyed telling his stories to his many friends and family at many of the “watering holes” across Alpena and the many towns he worked in.

In retirement, David and Tammy embraced their shared love of travel, spending nearly a decade exploring the United States and visiting most of its National Parks. He set foot in every state except Alaska.

David was a devoted and proud father and grandfather. He is survived by his beloved wife, Tammy; his children, Shay Lyn Kandis, Ben Veasy, and David (Amanda) Veasy; and his grandchildren, Riley and Bodhi Kandis, Tyler and Madilyn Veasy, and Theo, Fayia, and Eli Veasy. He is also survived by his brother, Doug (Irma) Veasy; his sister, Marji (Dan) Urick; his mother-in-law, Donna Marsh; his brother-in-law, Chris (Cindy) Marsh; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.

A Celebration of Life will be held on July 11, 2026, at his home in Ossineke. Cremation arrangements have been handled by the Bannan Funeral Home.

Inurnment: Sanborn Township Cemetery

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Great Lake Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City.