David W. Lincoln

David W Lincoln II, PhD

VOORHEESVILLE - On March 27, a great man lost a year's long battle with health issues. He passed away peacefully with his fiancee by his side along with L.B. (Little Bear) who had been his security blanket during his bouts of PTSD as a result of his war time experiences which followed him throughout most of his life.

David enlisted in the U.S. Army upon his graduation from high school because he wanted to be an EMT even though he knew he was going to be sent to Vietnam. His desire to serve was greater than the fear of losing his life. During his time in the Army, he earned the Bronze Star Medal along with other citations. David was a member of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army. Upon his return to the U.S., he pursued his education earning his doctorate in microbiology at the University of Pittsburgh. He spent most of his career doing breast cancer research at different laboratories in New York State, the VA Hospital in Albany, ending his career as a scientist with the NYS Police Investigation Center in Albany until his retirement in September 2014.

An Avid outdoors man, David volunteered his services at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar where he took great pride in being part of a team that followed the habits and evolution of the blue birds. He was happiest walking the different trails at the Center looking for what would escape the eye of the average man.

Behind this unassuming man, David was an artist, doing landscape watercolors that were displayed in different galleries in the Lake Placid and the Saranac Lake areas. He was also a writer and a story teller, always featuring his love of nature and its wildlife. He never failed to carry a sketch pad in his shirt pocket for fear of missing to capture that elusive bird or other creature. He was an excellent nature photographer. The Adirondacks Mountains were his favorite hiding place where he loved to go camping by himself in the middle of winter with his six or seven pairs of snowshoes just in case the snow dared to change one iota.

David was predeceased by his father, David W Lincoln. He is survived by his mother, Irene Lincoln, his son, pride and joy Davey III, his three devoted sisters, Sandy (Bob) Jennifer (Lee) and Debbie (Matt). He is also survived by his fiancee Huguette Elliott, her two daughters Jennifer and Andree Elliott and David Comegys whose compassionate care got him through two months of grueling suffering while recovering at home last summer. Also great thanks go to Hank and Jeannie and Marge and Bob who were always there for Huguette during this stressful period. He will also be missed by Huguette's family from Canada who had the pleasure of meeting this special person on many happy occasions.

We wish to thank podiatrist Dr. Mark Friedman and his team and are thankful for the excellent care he received by the nursing and supporting staff (too numerous to mentioned) at the Van Rensselaer Manor Nursing Home in Troy where he spent his last six months. In recent weeks he was under the nursing care of the St. Peter's Hospice. Many thanks also go to the VA Hospital doctors who worked tirelessly to make his complicated health issues tolerable.

When he met his fiancee, he fell in love also with her two rescue cats, Lucie and Lily, and for those who wish to make a contribution in his memory, the Whiskers Animal Benevolent League, P O Box 1190, Albany, NY, would be befitting his love of animals. He himself was a regular contributor.

Lastly, David formed a strong bond with fellow veterans who met regularly with their counselor Melodie Krahula, PsyD, who helped them work through their PTSD issues in their daily lives.

There will be funeral interment of his ashes at the Saratoga National Cemetery at an ulterior date.