DOB 11-11-1956 to 09-23-2024
David Cibula, a lifelong resident of Orange Park, Florida, passed away on 09-23-2024, at the age of 67. He was the son of the late Charles and Eleanor Cibula of Orange Park. He grew up on the St. John’s River where he spent many childhood years having adventures on and along the banks of the St John’s River with his friends exploring and searching the riverbank at low tide for treasures. During these years, his adventures included building a very high Treehouse in one of the majestic oak trees, a River raft, and a standalone fishing platform made from foraged riverbank scrap wood.
After David outgrew his very high Treehouse in our Oak Tree, He single-handedly built a large wood raft and was frequently seen rafting along River Road and Moosehaven. While in elementary school, he also used his homemade raft to assist in his building of a stand-alone square fishing platform which withstood many storms and hurricanes for over 40 years. During the life of his fishing platform, several Orange Park residents would be seen wading out to his little platform and could be seen fishing and enjoying the beauty of the ‘River’. Currently, one ‘lonely wood platform piling’ remains standing upright and can be seen from the Riverbank in front of his childhood home.
He enjoyed shrimping with his dad and watching the sea cows swim below the dock. Dragging a chicken leg on a string in the brackish water he was sure to fill a bucket with crabs. As a teenager, he spent summers surfing and looking for the best beaches to catch a wave and played on his Orange Park High School Tennis team.
After graduating from Orange Park High, he attended Tulane University where he received an Engineering degree with emphasis in Bio-Medical Engineering. He moved to Gainesville where he obtained a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. His professional career included employment with General Electric, Harris Corporation, and Motorola. His engineering teams developed radio frequency programs and product designs for the military, aerospace industry, and commercial cell phones. His team was instrumental in developing the wireless internal communication systems for the Space Station Freedom. He was an avid reader of advanced mathematical theories and advanced equations, often discovering errors in these books.
David was a gifted musician. He loved rock music, and bluegrass, and played classical guitar, banjo, and flute. He was in a rock band “Lazy Daze “while attending Tulane University. They played for “Greek” collegiate organizations as well as in the New Orleans French Quarter and an impromptu performance at the Jacksonville Civic Center
David’s passion was always tennis. Local players were eager to have him on their team since he was such a talented and competitive tennis opponent.
Like clockwork, David’s neighbors would regularly see him with his ‘hat’ on his head gardening in his front yard, cutting the grass, or routinely jogging down the street. David was also a lifetime member of the Loyal Order of the Moose in Orange Park.
David is survived by his brother, Kenneth Cibula (Doris) of Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; sister Karen Cibula Hatfield (Jim) of Tallahassee, Florida; sister, Kathy Cibula (Bart) of Miami, Florida. He enjoyed spending time with his nephew, Jay Hatfield (Shana), and niece, Ann Michele Pellino (Marcus). He was devoted to his grand nieces and nephews: Bryce and Chase Hatfield; Raymond, Mia Bella, and Theodore Pellino.
Interment will be a private family affair. Those wishing to honor David’s life may donate to “Phil-Am Children’s Ministry. This Christian Ministry provides educational and nutritional support to over 50 children in Magalang, Philippines. Donations can be sent to Phil-Am Children’s Ministry, Point Peter Baptist Church PO Box 7396, St. Mary’s, Georgia 31558.
For further information contact number: (912) 882-4456
