Dave was born in Camden, New Jersey on November 5, 1975 and lived in the nearby town of Bellmawr until his parents divorced. After the divorce, he lived in Delaware and Kentucky before returning to New Jersey, and settling into his long-term home with his Aunt Ruthie, Uncle Paul, and Cousin Kara in Princeton. His cousin Kara remembers Dave playing with GI Joe toys, bb guns, and building forts in t
he local woods as a boy. She also shared that it was around this time that Dave developed his unusual sense of fashion, specifically focused on the color orange, which he would wear with anything. He played in local pick-up football games with friends and the minute he was old enough to play organized football, Dave joined the local Pop Warner league. His passion for the game translated on the field, and by his sophomore year of high school he was a starting varsity player. Before his junior year, Dave and his family moved to North Andover, Massachusetts. Dave continued to excel in football while playing for the Knights, scoring on a 60-yard run the first time he touched the ball in the opening game of the season. Dave was selected team captain his senior year and finished his career at North Andover High School as the team’s Most Valuable Player. Dave’s unique character continued to shine through high school, particularly when he performed an infamous rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Piece of My Heart” while dressed in full drag during the senior pep rally. Dave also maintained his unusual sense of fashion highlighted by both his cowboy boots and his tuxedo selection for his senior prom. If you’re curious, be sure to check out the photo in the “North Andover Days” album. Following graduation from high school Dave passed up football scholarships to join the Navy and fulfill a lifelong ambition of becoming a Navy SEAL. After graduation from recruit training Dave was assigned as a machinist mate aboard the USS Pensacola. Following a deployment to the Persian Gulf he was selected to attend SEAL training in Coronado, California. Toward the end of the initial phase of training Dave suffered a knee injury that prevented him from completing the selection. Despite the knee injury that ended Dave’s hope of being a SEAL, his time in the Navy was one filled with distinction. Dave was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, NATO Medal, Armed Forces Service Award, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and Three Sea Service Deployment Ribbons. Following his service in the Navy, Dave returned to the Princeton area where he worked for the Baker International Corporation inspecting bridges. He returned to school and attacked this phase of his life with his usual aggressiveness, working diligently at both his career and his schoolwork. On his way home from his final college exam, Dave was tragically killed in a car accident at the age of 26. Dave Der-Arakelian was known for many things: his selflessness, his loyalty, his charisma, his love of football, his service to country, and his uncanny ability to say (or not say) just the right thing at just the right time. Everyone that knew him appreciated him, from those in New Jersey, to those in North Andover, to those he served with in the Navy. He was a unique, selfless, and caring individual who epitomized the true meaning of integrity and friendship. We encourage you to get to know Dave through the photos and memories people share on this page. Cheers,
The Dave Der-Arakelian Memorial Scholarship Fund
