Darin, alias Dag, moved to Vashon in 1978 from Upland, California. He graduated from VHS with the class of 1986. For a favorite quote under his photo in the yearbook, he chose Ozzy Osbourne lyrics from "Flying High Again":

I can see through the mountains watch me disappear

I can even touch the sky

Swallowing colors of the sound I hear

Am I just a crazy guy? You bet!

Dag was an outdoors type of guy who loved nature and sports. He was an avid baseball and soccer player, enjoyed surfing and beach volleyball during his summer visits to Pacific Palisades, California, played tennis and went skiing with his buddies in the winter. Before moving to Vashon, he enjoyed riding motorcycles and shooting guns with his grandpa in the deserts of southern California.

Music was always an instrumental part of his world. While in high school, he persuaded his mother to let him move out their dining room table and move in his drum set so he could play music and have jam sessions with his friends. He didn't care about there being a table to sit at for meals, he just wanted to beat those drums.

If he wasn't playing music he was hanging out a lot with Andy Mundy Sr. who mentored him in auto mechanics. Through Andy's valued friendship, he learned to work on his VW and keep it running.

After graduation, Dag began work at Ed Palmer Construction Company. Through the hands-on-training and guidance he obtained from both Ed and Earl Knight, he developed a passion for the construction industry.

In 1990, he moved to Seattle and began work at Bridgeway (Belfor) Construction Company as a journeyman carpenter and rapidly moved his way up the ladder. While developing skills of the trade, he found a new interest in working on the restoration of buildings. He moved over to Charter Construction in 2004 as a superintendent in Construction Defective Repair. Skilled in all areas of construction he worked on a variety of Charter projects including CDR, emergency response and commercial. With his diverse industry experience he met, worked and became friends with many clients, architects, engineers, project team members and field support employees. His most recent position was with Rafn Construction as an exterior foreman on the AMLI Mark24 project (304 units) in Ballard.

Dag's main love and driving force were his two daughters. He was the happiest when he was with them.

He leaves behind:

Daughters: Tabitha Christine Gray (16) and Rebecca Lynn Gray (15) of Vashon

Mother: Susan A. Gray of Vashon

Uncle: John Stuart Gray (Yolanda) of Glen Allen, VA

Half-sister: Colleen Buerge and family of Pacific Palisades, CA

Aunt: Pat Nelson Gary (Bruce) of Everett, WA and family

Ex-wife and family: Erica Protzeller Davidson (Ed); Protzeller and Davidson families

Pals: Nancy Hoffman and Wally Goodrick of Santa Monica, CA

Extended family: Zellerhoff and Danzer families

Numerous cousins and a huge amount of dear, dear friends and good buddies

Dag will be remembered for his humor, compassion, charm, generous spirit and unwavering loyalty. He will be held near and dear to our hearts forever.

Donations in Darin's name can be made to the Tabitha and Rebecca Gray account at Chase Bank.