David Warner Gilby, beloved and cherished husband, father, son, brother, uncle, brother-in-law and friend, passed away Sunday, April 10, 2022.
David was born in Middletown, Ohio, to his parents, Stephen and Betty Gilby, on June 26, 1970. He joined his two older sisters, Joan (Stevning) and Karen (Esterbrook), completing their family of five. David enjoyed a special spot in his family as the youngest and the only boy.
Early on, his sisters recognized his affinity for Karaoke and had him perform countless shows in their basement. Thus began David’s lifelong love affair with music.
David also honed his golf and tennis skills and became accomplished in both. In golf, he was named MVP and ‘first team’ in the Ohio Mid-Miami League his senior year at Lemon-Monroe High School, class of 1988. He was also active on his local tennis and swim teams. David graduated from The Ohio State University in 1993 with a BA in journalism and advertising. His senior year, he served as president of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity at Ohio State. His Karaoke skills were further refined during his time at OSU.
After graduating, David’s first job was as a stand-in on the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption.” After this film experience, David announced at the family Thanksgiving table, circa 1994, that he was moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He became a page at NBC on The Tonight Show, then worked in marketing for some of the major studios. From there, he moved on to the music industry producing music videos with a team of directors.
David fell into the tech world through the music industry with the birth of music downloads. Asked to produce some of the very first video webcasts for bands and major advertising brands, he realized the great potential for online music. Subsequently, David joined the company MP3.com in San Diego where he participated in the company going public along with all of the ups and downs of the early stages of the online music industry.
David helped several start-ups grow and develop their businesses. At ChaCha he launched and managed sales and business development for the burgeoning search engine company. Later, he spent nearly 10 years with SweetLabs, a leading app developer and partner for device manufacturers, where he drove product revenues and forged strategic relationships and partnerships with leading companies. More recently, he had joined SleepScore Labs working to use data to improve health through optimal sleep. Although he loved his work, it was his enduring relationships and jovial camaraderie with his colleagues that he valued most.
David’s passion for Ohio State football fortuitously led him to his other great love in life. While visiting Los Angeles to attend the Ohio State vs. UCLA Rose Bowl game in 2001, David met his future wife, Karoline “Karrie” Koop. They married in 2003 at Christ Church in Coronado; they settled in Coronado and started a family. David’s two sons, Gage and Alexander, were his pride and joy.
David continued to be an avid golfer and was often seen at the Coronado golf course with his sons or friends playing the back nine. David also loved discovering new restaurants, traveling with his family and friends, bike riding around the island and cheering on the Padres.
David’s true loves were always music, family and friends. Music fueled him and spoke to him. If he wasn’t attending local concerts, he was listening to and discussing music with the music club that he started with friends. “Where words fail, music speaks” and music was a constant for him.
David was a devoted father who adored his children and his six nephews and one niece. He coached his son’s basketball team and was a constant fixture on the sidelines of the volleyball courts and baseball fields cheering on his boys. He was a loving and loyal son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle who was an integral and cherished member of the Gilby, Koop, Rice, Stevning and Conner extended families. Always kind, approachable, and fun-loving, David touched many lives and his network of friends is vast. To know David was to love him, and his loss is mourned by so many.
He is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Edgar & Mildred Moore, his paternal grandmother, Marjorie James, and his Aunt Barbara Surber.
There will be a memorial service for David on Sunday, May 1, at 2 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 1114 Ninth Street.
David was an active volunteer with The Monarch School in San Diego.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in David’s name: https://monarchschools.org/donations/.
A memorial fund has been established in the names of Alexander and Gage Gilby at CalPrivate Bank. Donations can be made in their names and mailed to 801 Orange Avenue Suite #101, Coronado, CA 92118.
