Obituary for David Charles Laba
On March 15, 2020, David Charles Laba, loving brother, uncle, cousin and friend, passed away unexpectedly in his home at the age of 57. Dave was born on January 7, 1963 in Saranac Lake, NY to Gerald and Frances (Harris) Laba. The Laba family moved to North Babylon, NY when Dave was a toddler; he was raised on Long Island and then went on to the State University of New York at Oswego where he earned his B.A. degree in Communication Studies.
After graduation, Dave moved to Phoenix, AZ, breaking into the broadcasting industry as a studio technician at News Channel 3, an ABC affiliate. He eventually made his home just outside of Atlanta, GA, where he had a long-standing and illustrious career at various entities of Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS)/Time Warner Company. He spent years working his way up in various technical production positions within the Turner family, including Turner Production, Turner Studios, and CNN. Dave eventually moved into product management and for a few years moved to Menlo Park, CA working for ACCOM, Inc. His work there took him to many different corners of the world for live broadcast events including the Olympics, Wimbledon, Super Bowl, and the Academy Awards. He continued his product management career at Cox Automotive/Manheim, but no matter where else Dave worked, he always returned to Turner – it was his second family and he made lifelong friends and connections that meant the world to him. With his most recent position at NBA Digital Turner Sports, Dave felt like his career had gone full-circle and he had come ‘home’.
Dave was best known for his sidesplitting humor, storytelling and infectious laugh, and his incredible talent for making any circumstance insanely funny. He could turn the most mundane situation into a hilarious memory for all who knew him – his family, friends and coworkers all lay claim to a ‘Dave story’ (or many). His ability to light up a room and make everyone feel special will never be matched. Dave was kind, compassionate and generous, and he loved his family fiercely. He had a passion for all things broadcasting, always creating videos and DVDs in memoriam for his beloved family and many of his friends. Dave also had a love/hate relationship with home projects but worked tirelessly as a DIYer regardless of the size of the undertaking – all the while finding the humor in every task.
Dave and his siblings were incredibly close, despite the distance between all, and spent nearly every holiday with one or more of his siblings and their families. Dave is preceded in death by his parents (Fran and Jerry) and is survived by his brother, Paul “Rick” (Karen) Laba in NH, and sisters, Suzanne Laba in MA, and Elizabeth “Betsy” (Marco) Mularoni in AZ. He was the funniest, most generous and loving uncle to six nieces and nephews: Keith (Grace) Laba, Kevin (Shoko) Laba, Samuel Laba-Barry, Sarah Laba-Barry, Mikayla Mularoni and Matthew Mularoni, plus a great-niece and two great-nephews: Dakotah Laba-Barry, Vincent Laba, and Drew Laba.
David will be sorely missed but will live on forever in our hearts.
A celebration of Life has been planned for Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 25 Chestnut Street, Dover, NH, followed by a reception at the home of Paul (Rick) and Karen Laba, 519 Tolend Road, Dover, NH. A second celebration of Life will be held in David’s hometown (Marietta, GA) in the early fall. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to David’s favorite charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
After graduation, Dave moved to Phoenix, AZ, breaking into the broadcasting industry as a studio technician at News Channel 3, an ABC affiliate. He eventually made his home just outside of Atlanta, GA, where he had a long-standing and illustrious career at various entities of Turner Broadcasting Systems (TBS)/Time Warner Company. He spent years working his way up in various technical production positions within the Turner family, including Turner Production, Turner Studios, and CNN. Dave eventually moved into product management and for a few years moved to Menlo Park, CA working for ACCOM, Inc. His work there took him to many different corners of the world for live broadcast events including the Olympics, Wimbledon, Super Bowl, and the Academy Awards. He continued his product management career at Cox Automotive/Manheim, but no matter where else Dave worked, he always returned to Turner – it was his second family and he made lifelong friends and connections that meant the world to him. With his most recent position at NBA Digital Turner Sports, Dave felt like his career had gone full-circle and he had come ‘home’.
Dave was best known for his sidesplitting humor, storytelling and infectious laugh, and his incredible talent for making any circumstance insanely funny. He could turn the most mundane situation into a hilarious memory for all who knew him – his family, friends and coworkers all lay claim to a ‘Dave story’ (or many). His ability to light up a room and make everyone feel special will never be matched. Dave was kind, compassionate and generous, and he loved his family fiercely. He had a passion for all things broadcasting, always creating videos and DVDs in memoriam for his beloved family and many of his friends. Dave also had a love/hate relationship with home projects but worked tirelessly as a DIYer regardless of the size of the undertaking – all the while finding the humor in every task.
Dave and his siblings were incredibly close, despite the distance between all, and spent nearly every holiday with one or more of his siblings and their families. Dave is preceded in death by his parents (Fran and Jerry) and is survived by his brother, Paul “Rick” (Karen) Laba in NH, and sisters, Suzanne Laba in MA, and Elizabeth “Betsy” (Marco) Mularoni in AZ. He was the funniest, most generous and loving uncle to six nieces and nephews: Keith (Grace) Laba, Kevin (Shoko) Laba, Samuel Laba-Barry, Sarah Laba-Barry, Mikayla Mularoni and Matthew Mularoni, plus a great-niece and two great-nephews: Dakotah Laba-Barry, Vincent Laba, and Drew Laba.
David will be sorely missed but will live on forever in our hearts.
A celebration of Life has been planned for Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 25 Chestnut Street, Dover, NH, followed by a reception at the home of Paul (Rick) and Karen Laba, 519 Tolend Road, Dover, NH. A second celebration of Life will be held in David’s hometown (Marietta, GA) in the early fall. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to David’s favorite charity, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.