Vale Dave Zemek

I rise to remember a titan of the surf lifesaving movement, a member of my community who, sadly, passed after almost a decade in a wheelchair. Dave Zemek was an absolute giant. Unfortunately, some years ago, he dived into the water at Mermaid Beach Surf Club, hit the sandbank or a piece of flotsam in the water and snapped his spinal cord. Just a few days ago, I joined 400 of my community members at the Calvary Catholic Church, just around the corner from where I live in Miami, where members of the community and Dave’s family and friends gathered to speak about his contribution to our community. In the face of adversity, Dave Zemek wrung the life out of what he had left. He was a man of great positivity. He played tennis almost up until the end. However, he did suffer two strokes, which slowed him down significantly. But what a privilege it was to sit in the church and remember him with so many from the surf lifesaving fraternity of Mermaid Beach Surf Club, which, of course, is my own surf club where I did my surf bronze. Vale, David Alexander Zemek—22 August 1954 to 10 July 2025.