Obituary of David F. "Dave" Huxtable

MILLERS MILLS – David “Dave” F. Huxtable, age 80, of Huxtable Rd., Millers Mills (West Winfield), NY, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 24, 2017, at home.

He was a man of strong faith, who possessed a tremendous work ethic and had a deep love of family, community and the outdoors.

Dave was born on March 26, 1937, in Mohawk, the son of Arthur Young Huxtable and Eunice Fulton Huxtable.  He married Carole Torok in 1999 and for the past 18 years they enjoyed many things together, including hiking with the Tramp and Trail Club and traveling to destinations such as Antarctica, Alaska and Ireland.

Dave graduated from West Winfield High School in 1955 and earned his Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in 1959. He was a dairy farmer for a good share of his life. Later, he established a hoof trimming business and never truly retired. Dave last visited a local dairy operation to trim the cows’ hooves this past July. 

Giving back to the community through service was important to Dave. He was a lifetime member and former trustee of the Millers Mills Community Baptist Church.  He was a member of Millers Mills Grange #581 and chairman of the Grange’s annual Millers Mills Ice Harvest for many years. He was a member and past president of the Mount Markham School Board. Dave was also a member of NY Farm Bureau and past president of District 6, as well as past president of the Herkimer County Farm Bureau. He was a member of the Hoof Trimmers Assoc. and the Board of Directors of the Herkimer Cooperative Insurance Co. He was also past president of the Tramp and Trail Club of Utica. 

Dave had a ready smile and found great satisfaction in working the land, be it on the seat of a tractor, at the handle of a garden tiller or harvesting the sap from maple trees. One of his greatest pleasures in life was to make maple syrup, a Huxtable family tradition that goes back generations. He eagerly looked forward every year to toiling in the woods in preparation for sugaring season and as cold nights and warm days approached, family and friends waited to see steam curling up out of the sugar house cupola. This was the signal that maple season was underway and sugar house gatherings would again find their way into the routine of late winter and early spring.

Survivors include Dave’s wife, Carole, and six children from a previous marriage to Beverly Louise Couchman,  twin daughters, Karen Huxtable Hooker and her husband, Patrick, of Richfield Springs and Caroline Potter and her husband, Scott, of Fabius, NY, Sherri Randell and her husband, Mark, of Sauquoit, NY, Laura Huxtable, of Barneveld, NY, Mark Huxtable, of Fabius, NY and Jeffrey Huxtable and his wife, Christine, of Millers Mills; 15 grandchildren, Erika, Mitchell, Kelsey, Connie, Tracy, twins Justine and Jennifer, Brandon, Abigail, Emily, Alden, Jaedyn, Brandt, Everett and Weston; two great-grandchildren, Holden and Brandon David; three step-children, Mari Elisabeth Burgos and her husband, Brian, of Dallas TX, Michael Kuzmack and his wife, Doreen, of Los Alamos, NM and Matthew Kuzmack, of Rome, NY; eight step-grandchildren, Ashley, Katlyn, Zackery, Megan, Stephanie, Chad, Elissa and Michael; five step great- grandchildren, Elijah, Savannah, Liam, Haley and Connor; one brother, Thomas Huxtable and his wife, Katherine, of West Winfield; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Dave was predeceased by twin grandsons, Christopher and Connor; brothers, Arthur, Henry and James Huxtable; and parents, father, Arthur Young “A.Y.” Huxtable and mother, Eunice Huxtable Knapp.

Dave’s Memorial service and Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 4, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., at the Millers Mills Community Baptist Church, 647 Millers Mills Rd., West Winfield, NY.  There will be no calling hours.

Anyone wishing to share a memory of Dave, or add to his online memorial, may go to www.applegateandday.com.

In lieu of flowers, as an expression of sympathy, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice & Palliative Care, 4277 Middle Settlement Rd., New Hartford, NY, 13413 or the Millers Mills Community Baptist Church, c/o treasurer John “Jack” Young, 242 Richfield Hill Road, West Winfield, NY 13491.  Envelopes will also be available at the Memorial service.

Service arrangements and supervision are entrusted to the Huxtable Family Funeral Director, Don Applegate, of the Applegate-Day & Enea Family Funeral Home’s original location at 102 West St., Ilion, NY 13357 (315-895-7722).