David Livingstone Erdman

David Livingstone Erdman passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at St. Mark Village in Palm Harbor, FL, at the age of 88. He was born January 3, 1937 in Philadelphia, PA to the late Anne Young Potter and George Livingstone Erdman.

Preceded in death by his wife, Margaret, and twin, Robert, David is survived by his daughters, Kirsten Rhoads of Eudora, KS, Alison Richards (Carl) of Tampa, FL, and Lauren Erdman (Paul Donner) of Albuquerque, NM; his brothers, Richard Erdman of Chevy Chase, MD, and John Erdman of Farmington, ME; four grandchildren: Dale Roussel (Natasha) of Lawrence, KS, David Richards and Orion Richards of Tampa, FL, and Wyatt Donner of Albuquerque, NM; and a great-granddaughter, Opal.

David grew up in Milburn, NJ. He attended Bates College in Lewiston, ME, where he majored in History, participated in Track and Field, and met his future wife, Margaret Lampson. After college, David joined the Army Security Agency and served in Germany for three years during the height of the Berlin Wall tensions, focusing on intelligence collection and analysis.

Following his military service, David returned to the U.S. and taught Physical Education at the Perkins School for the Blind in Newton, MA. He later pursued computer programming and enjoyed a successful 35-year career in IT and programming for several Boston financial institutions.

In 1968, David and Margaret moved to the seaside town of Scituate, Massachusetts, where they raised their three daughters. David was an active member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Mill Pond Tennis Club, where he could be found several evenings a week. He played on the JCs' softball team and helped organize the annual clam and lobster bake.

David retired from programming in 2002 and turned to bird watching as a relaxing hobby. He often lagged behind the birding groups as he tried to identify birds from his field manual. To solve this, he took up photography, allowing him to identify birds later at home. Over the years, he attended various bird photography workshops across the country, honing his skills and building an extensive portfolio. After moving to Florida in 2007, he continued to develop his passion. His photographs earned awards and recognition at the Tampa Area Audubon Society shows, and he enjoyed making notecards from his favorite shots. His notecards were always in demand.

In retirement, David rediscovered his love of singing and joined the Fun Chorus at St. Mark’s Village and the Palm Harbor Crystal-Aires barbershop group, singing tenor in The Old Smoothies quartet.

David will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He took pride in supporting his daughters and their individual accomplishments and gave his family the example of following their passions, no matter how long it takes.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm on March 29, 2025, at St. Mark’s Village Chapel in Palm Harbor, FL, followed by a reception in the Club Room. All are welcome to attend and celebrate David’s life.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you support your local vocal groups by attending a performance by a barbershop quartet or a school vocal group, or by donating to the Audubon Society.