David John Wachter

A life well lived is a life lived with love.

David John Wachter was born Willard Davis Wachter on August 13, 1946, in Wilmington, Delaware. He changed his name to David (Dave) Wachter in Kindergarten. He attended St Michael’s Catholic Elementary School and graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Dave was drafted and served in the Viet Nam War from August 1967 to August 1968. After returning from Viet Nam, he was an avid anti-war activist. He later became active in the American Indian Movement and remained a passionate advocate throughout his life. He captivated friends and family members with stories from his childhood, Viet Nam, and life as an activist; he provided an untold amount of entertainment from his experiences. Dave found his calling working with people with intellectual and physical disabilities, as well as mental health issues. He earned a Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Maryland in 2000. He dedicated the remainder of his working career as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education in Washington, DC. Dave said many times that his most fulfilling job was working with wounded warriors at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Dave is preceded in death by his parents, John J. Wachter and Jeanne Marie Davis; siblings Christine Bonsby, John A. Wachter, Jeanne Miller, Kathy Michos; and brother-in-law John C. Bonsby.

He is survived by his wife Jackie, and children John (Karin), Thomas, Griffith, and Kate; siblings Louise (Jessica) Parker Kelley and Jim (Kathy) Parker; brother-in-life Peter Michos; and a multitude of loving family members and friends. Dave will remain in our hearts forever.

Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Historic Church, 9700 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Inurnment will be held in 2025 at Arlington National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association and the Disabled American Veterans.

The family has entrusted funeral arrangements to Beltway Cremation Center, p.a. Gaithersburg, MD.