David Nicolas Haarhoff

David Nicolas Haarhoff of Boise, Idaho, shuffled off this mortal coil April 26th, 2022 at the age of 43, but his larger-than-life adoration for his family and friends, his trademark inappropriate jokes (balls) and his love for music and food will not soon be forgotten.  Also, those ever-expressive eyebrows, also those.

He was born in a little house on Grant Street in Boise on July 30th, 1978 to Edgar and Molly Haarhoff, and big sister Sasha. A little ray of sunshine with blonde hair and a love for all things naughty, Dave brought the fun to the party the moment he was born, and would successfully spend his lifetime being wonderfully weird, and brilliant, and unabashedly himself.  He was the party. And we love him for it.

At the ripe ole age of 3, David planned an unaccompanied and unauthorized trip to the neighborhood Circle K to grab himself a Rocket Pop. After he gassed up his Big Wheel and put on his best driving cap, lil Davey Haarhoff peeled out of his driveway and peddled those little legs to the corner store as fast as they would take him for that well-loved frozen treat. Later on, while telling this story, he would laugh at this road trip ending in his first police escort home. It is unconfirmed as to whether or not he actually secured that Rocket Pop, so it is highly encouraged that you grab yourself one in memory of Dave.

From Beethoven to Slayer, Beastie Boys and Billy Joel to Ween and Wu-Tang Clan, and everything in between and on all sides around, he loved, loved, loved music. He didn’t just “listen” to music – he absorbed it, and breathed it in. It was a rare occasion that you would find him not lost in song. When Africa by Toto would come on the radio, he would turn it up as loud as he could and yell over the music that his father had LOVED this song at its release in 1982.  It wasn’t just Toto that brought that kind of reaction though, it was every song that came on. Caustic Resin to Levon Helm – he had a story or connection to it, and most of those stories involved his friends.

Jr High and High School seemed to be about the time that Dave found his Neverland, and met the group of Lost Boys that would fill so many of his memories, and held so much of his heart throughout his life. Doug and Eric, Reuben and Alonzo, Taylor, Chris and of course our sweet Noah Curtis Williams. There were so, so many people that he revered as family, brothers and sisters, that it would be impossible to list the entire cast...except to say, you know who you are, and if Dave knew you, he loved you, and you felt it. There was a lot of trouble making to be had during those years, and he would smile that mischievous side smile any time he talked about the debauchery that took place back then – the twinkle would come to his eye, and he would laugh that Dave laugh – you know the one, as he recounted those days and people he loved so well.

As High School was ending, he discovered a passion for cooking and ran with it. He ended up working in kitchens in Boise for quite a while, and after a short stint in the clink - we’ll call it his second police escort, he ended up cooking at the Riverside in Boise. He loved it there he said, he hated it there he said, but he created a family in that kitchen, just as he’d done in school. It would eventually be the experience at The Riverside that brought David to Kansas City, MO as an Executive Chef. After Kansas City, he would tell stories of the amazing times that he had cooking in Tahoe at the ski resort. He’d smile to the point that it looked like it hurt his face when he talked about the forever friends he made in the kitchen there.
“You don’t gotta be such a Richard about it” was one of the takeaways from his time there. If you were ever fortunate to eat at David’s table with him, there was no doubt that the man was good at his craft and he took so much joy and pride in those creations. As you’re reading this, I bet you’re imagining a favorite dish – and he would have loved that.

In addition to friends, music and cooking, David also played a huge part as dad to his longtime partner Sara Lasuen’s son Caden. He spoke quite often of all the fantastic times he and Caden had, and took a lot of joy in the fact that he was able to share in the experience of watching Caden grow while he and Sara were together. In 2008, David and Rochelle Siegel’s daughter Isabelle Avery Haarhoff was born. She was his first and only daughter, and she was his heart. Although he and Belle, as he called her, would not live in the same state while David was alive, he relished every interaction with her, and loved her bigger than words could ever begin to touch. Her little peet, little peet. In 2012, David was married to Kacie Brecks, and in 2015 he adopted her son Ezra Brecks. David’s love for all three of his kids was a gift, and he will be sorely missed by them.

At the end of the day, David was magic, he still is. He had a heart that you don’t find in most people, and to have known his love in this lifetime was a precious thing for all of us. His brilliance and his charm, his ability to just make being comfortably weird acceptable, and his acceptance of your weirdness was beyond measure. David lived a life that was not without struggle, but he lived it with more love and more heart than anyone we will ever know. He smiled through his pain to make sure the people around him didn’t feel it, and he tried his hardest to overcome his addictions and health issues. And in the end?  It did take a lot to tear him away from us – and there isn’t going to be a day that passes where his wild, wonderful, beautiful spirit isn’t felt and missed.

David was preceded in death by his father, Edgar Haarhoff and his brother and dearest friend Noah Curtis Williams. He is survived by his mother, Molly Haarhoff of Boise, Idaho; sister Sasha Haarhoff of Kansas City, MO; his wife Kacie Jayne Brecks-Haarhoff and son Ezra Brecks of Meridian, Idaho; his daughter Isabelle Avery Haarhoff and her mother Rochelle Siegel of Overland Park, Kansas; and Caden Peterson and his mother Sara Lasuen of Boise, Idaho. In addition, David leaves behind a world of friends, co-workers and family all across the map.  We love you, Dave and yes, the dude does abide.