July 24, 2008

It is with a great deal of sadness that I have to announce the passing of one of Whitney’s Playland’s staunchest supporters – David Warren. David donated the Walking Charley, the Dodger Car and many more artifacts to our museum including the blue cap from the clown’s head on the old Fun House. For decades Dave has been an independent spirit who preferred being homeless and living in city parks to having an apartment. I had not seen Dave in quite some time, and the only way I knew for sure that he was still alive was that he paid for a large storage shed in Santa Rosa every month to store all his remaining Playland memorabilia. This morning I got a phone call from a fellow in Sonoma County offering to sell us the Playland-related items from that storage shed. He said the owner had not made a payment in the last six months. There is no reliable way to ascertain if Dave has indeed passed away, but he would sooner die than lose the contents of that shed. We are greatly saddened at his loss.

 

Richard Tuck
Playland Not at the Beach