A Tribute to David Faw - City of San Rafael Resale Inspector

Today I attended a celebration to honor the life of David Faw, who passed away on May 24^th.  David is well-known to realtors who sell property in San Rafael because he's been the go-to guy for resale inspections for many years.  Being the "resale inspector" was a very small slice of who David was and why he was so well liked.  He was a people person who liked to jaw bone with realtors, see homes and keep his finger on the pulse of the market.  He liked real estate. 

Not one to retire, he contracted with the City of San Rafael for many years to do resale inspections.  At one time the City decided to tighten their belt and have a City employee take over the inspections. They quickly discovered contracting with David was much more cost-effective and efficient than taking an employee off a project in the Planning Department and listening to realtors complain when resale inspections weren't done on a timely basis.

I remember talking to David when the City was taking away his job and he told me he had written a proposal offering to work for IOU's and collect at a later date when the City could afford to pay him just so he could continue doing something he enjoyed.

David was such a nice guy. The last time I saw him was a year ago when he did a resale inspection for me.  He told me he had been diagnosed with cancer and would be taking a break while he underwent treatment.  I thought of him often over the past year and hoped he would return soon.  That wasn't meant to be...

Today, I heard the rest of David's story; of a life well-lived, a man with a big personality that filled a room, someone who loved to cook for family and friends, an actor who found a stage and a captive audience appearing in a number of productions at the College of Marin and with the Ross Valley Players.  30 years as a Planner with the County and City of Novato, I learned he always greeted everyone with a smile, ready to help.  No surprise there. I learned he engaged everyone who crossed his path and they would end up in the kitchen with him cooking. I learned it was an honor to be an honorary member of the Faw family. I learned David was a man who made a difference in many lives.

But most importantly, I learned David was loved and cherished by his family and friends. Not a saint, but a good man.  No surprise there.

Janis Peterson, Realtor, 415-271-3109 or [email protected]