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Sad day - David Ellsworth

hockenbery

hockenbery

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I just received word that David Ellsworth has passed away.

David had a profound effect on woodturning world and in particular on my involvement in turning.
David was a major force in founding AAW member number 1
I will treasure his friendship and miss him dearly.
 
I am saddened. In my first year of woodturning in 2023 our club had David in person for a club meeting demo and then a a 4 hour workshop on Saturday afternoon and Sunday. I had taken over the AV for the club and was armed with a couple of new camcorders and recorded the whole thing. During Lunch he approached me to help with a AAW project he was working on needing some people across the US to to record interviews with various woodturners. I was very excited and we corresponded throughout the following year but the project took a turn and I wasn't able to contribute. But 6 years later I ran into him at the 2019 Symposium and he recognized me and we talked for quite a while. My David Ellsworth gauge is the first tool I used for almost anything I do. He will be missed.
 
Oh no. He was such an influence on woodturning and so many people.

Some years ago Ellis Walentine kindly took me to visit David at his house and shop in PA (before he moved south). Just meeting him and experiencing his work up close was a joy.

Ellsworth_Ellis_IMG_2016031.jpg

Does anyone have an address where one could send a note to his family?

JKJ
 
Such terrible news. David was the icon in the woodturning community. In 1986 I attended a wood turners gathering (symposium?) at Alfred College, NY. David, and a few other well known turners, explained that they were starting a new organizaton - the AAW ... I signed up right then and there. I think I attended all of his demos/events when he lived in Bucks County, PA.
 
John K Jordan said:
Oh no. He was such an influence on woodturning and so many people.

Some years ago Ellis Walentine kindly took me to visit David at his house and shop in PA (before he moved south). Just meeting him and experiencing his work up close was a joy.

View attachment 76584

Does anyone have an address where one could send a note to his family?

JKJ
Click to expand...
You may be able to find it in the AAW membership list. In NC.
 
I met David at the first symposium I attended which was in Louisville in I believe 2005, still have a picture of the two of us at a table, he autographed it a few years ago in London, Ont. where he demonstrated. On one occasion, I was demonstrating at a club event and had a question I sent to David at 7:00 AM, he responded within 20 min. and answered promptly. He was quite generous with helping others.
 
I saw and met David at a local club demonstration about 7 years ago. I immediately knew David was special and about 5 years ago took a 4 day class at his home. Besides being a super teacher David and his wife Wendy were great hosts. After class hours, we shared a beer or two, had great conversation, and he fed us! This was the high point in my woodturning journey. My hat is off to David, my condolences to his family, and may he RIP.
 
I'm so grateful for the time I was able to spend learning from David. He was a fantastic turner and a kind, generous, and patient teacher. I had hoped I'd see him over the weekend in St. Paul. My condolences to his family.
 
There are many things I remember about David. But the most important and significant to me is that he started a community, which fostered acceptance and inclusion, regardless of skill; all were welcomed, accepted and embraced. It grew to a community across the globe.

I will be forever grateful that David started a community that I now call my family, and the annual AAW Symposium is the family reunion I look forward to attending every year. Rest gentle, easy and calm, David. Love to you from your family of a hundred thousand or more.
 
John K Jordan said:
Oh no. He was such an influence on woodturning and so many people.

Some years ago Ellis Walentine kindly took me to visit David at his house and shop in PA (before he moved south). Just meeting him and experiencing his work up close was a joy.

View attachment 76584

Does anyone have an address where one could send a note to his family?

JKJ
Click to expand...
208 Ox Creek Road
Weaverville NC 28787
United States

He’s a legend. He will live forever in his legscy
 
I only met David through an online demo my club had in 2020. He was a humble and gracious person. He has been the biggest influence on my turning journey. He will be missed a great deal. RIP David, and condolences to his family.
 
I like to say that David was the founding father of American woodturning. I count myself fortunate to have taken his 3-day class at his house a couple of summers ago with three other amazing turners. I still use his signature gouge and sharpening jig, as well as some of the techniques I learned from him. just about daily. RIP David-his legacy will resonate in the turning and arts community for generations.

(Edit to add: If you look at the bottom right in the picture, you will see a poplar hollow form that was my 1st attempt at one there on the 3rd day of David's class. I got a little aggressive with one of the big whale harpoon homemade hollowers of his, and blew out the wall. David actually insisted that I hot glue it back together instead of tossing it on a firewood pile. Funny, I took that glued-together hollow form back to my high school classroom soon after, and showed it to all my students on Day 1 as an example of how we learn the most from our mistakes, so embrace both the mistake as well as the lessons it taught. When I retired last year, I gave it away to a favorite student, and it now sits in their college dorm room.)

Another quick story from that picture: if you look at the big cherry bowl with the vacum chuck ring in my left hand, I wanted to leave the tenon on it so I could remount it and sand it a little better on my own lathe once it was dry. David insisted I show him that I knew how to turn off a tenon and finish the bottom as it was a required part of the class. When I asked him how I would sand it without any tenon, he looked at me and said with some irritation, "In your lap like the rest of us." And so I took it home to finish sans tenon. I treasure both of those stories from my class with the master.
David Ellsworth and Me.jpg
 
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