David John Spang, one of the first three naturalists hired by the Cape Cod National Seashore in 1963, died at his home in Truro on Oct. 5, 2024 after a brief illness. He was 86.
The son of Joseph and Sylvia (Anderson) Spang, Dave was born on April 24, 1938 in Manchester, Conn. He grew up in Wellesley, where at the home of one of his neighbors he was lucky to meet several American icons, including Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, and Robert Frost. He spent many childhood summers at the ponds in Mashpee.
He had a variety of summer jobs in his high school years. He poured concrete for the St. Lawrence Seaway Dam and worked in a cashmere factory in Needham, a job that gave him lifelong issues with his lungs, said his wife, Gwen. After graduating from Wellesley High School in 1956, he went to Tufts University.
Dave met Gwendolyn Hahn on Cape Cod, where she spent summers with her family in West Dennis. They ran into each other again on the Tufts campus, and a spark was lit.
Dave and Gwendolyn married in 1959 and spent the next 65 years together.
Dave graduated with a degree in geology in 1961, and he and Gwen settled in Sudbury. His first job was with Polaroid, but a year later he took a job at the newly established Boston Museum of Science, whence he brought home unusual creatures including a porcupine, a snake, a skunk, and a hawk. Dave’s time at the museum sparked his interest in teaching, Gwen said.
After working briefly at a middle school, Dave signed up to teach earth science and physics at Lexington High School. He took night classes at Framingham State College to secure his teacher certification and went on to earn a master’s degree in geophysics from Boston College.
Dave spent 30 years at Lexington High School, founding a ski club and chaperoning young people on trips around New England and to Europe. He was a racing coach in the Buddy Warner League, an alpine skiing program for kids. He also took side jobs as an electrician’s apprentice, lacrosse referee, and EMT.
In the summer of 1963, Dave was hired as one of the first three naturalist rangers at the Cape Cod National Seashore. At the time, Gwen recalled, the naturalists did everything, including patrolling the forest and building trails. The first trail he helped build was Cedar Swamp in Wellfleet — a place to which Dave returned until the last year of his life.
For almost 35 years, Dave and his family spent summers in National Seashore housing in various parts of the Outer Cape. In 1997, Dave retired from teaching, bought a house in Truro, and took a full-time job as North District lead naturalist, which he held until retiring from the Seashore in 2004.
Dave was there in uniform at the famously overcrowded concert at the Province Lands Amphitheatre in May 1972 when a group of Hell’s Angels wound up defending him from harassment from the thousands of concert-goers trying to get in and out of the remote venue.
More enduringly, he created the popular “breeches buoy” demonstration at the Race Point Beach Lifesaving Station, which reenacts a method for rescuing crewmen from foundering ships, one person at a time. He played “station keeper” at the Thursday evening demonstrations for many years.
Dave loved being in his boats, whether motoring or under sail; he briefly owned a lobster boat and loved chasing tuna on the Dixie II. In his 70s, he traded in his boats for golf clubs.
Dave also enjoyed birding, gardening, and his Labrador retrievers. He treasured his second home near Stratton, Maine, where he enjoyed skiing, snowmobiling, hiking, and spending time with friends and family.
Dave is survived by his wife, Gwen Spang of North Truro; his brothers, Stephen Spang and wife Roberta of Carlisle and Peter Spang and wife Marion of Mashpee; his daughters, Deborah Dionne of Wellfleet, Lynda LaRiviere and husband John of Bowe, N.H., and Tracy Wertis and husband John of Trumansburg, N.Y.; and his daughter-in-law, Silke Spang of Aspen, Colo. He loved being “Pappy” to his seven granddaughters, two step-grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
He was predeceased by his son, William Spang.
Services will be private, but a celebration of life is being planned for the spring.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave’s name can be made to the Truro Historical Society.
