Celebration of Life Dave Cahal October 23, 1940 to November 24, 2024
O n January 4, 2025, a Celebration of Life was held at the Lodi Moose Lodge in Acampo, California, for our beloved former NSRA Southwest Division Director, Dave Cahal. In 2024 while attending the Western Street Rod Nationals Dave officially retired his position as Southwest Director after 37 years promoting NSRA through- out Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.
Dave was an active member of the Over the Hill Gang, Foothill Classic and Cal Vintage Rods and he and Mary held an annual NSRA Appreciation Day for 25 years in Lathrop. Aside from promoting NSRA Membership at all the major indoor/outdoor car shows out west, Dave had both the passion and skill to organize street rod cruises to far away places such as the Street Rod Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky, Deuce Days in Victoria, British Columbia, and all up and down the West Coast. His cruises were always filled with exciting stops to visit some of the hobby’s best shops, muse- ums and private collections. The
through the years we have made so many new friends and have seen so many fun places we’ll always be grateful for the memories he gave us. You are all wonderful and kind like your dad and that’s probably the best legacy anyone could ever leave.” Dave was inducted into the “Legends of Sacramento Autorama” in 2018, served as a member of the Valley Springs Booster Club, and in 2004 was named “Valley Springs Citizen of
Dave was born in Buffalo, New York, October 23, 1940, but when only an infant the fam- ily moved to Southern California. He enjoyed a long career with United Grocers that in 1987 found himself and his wife Mary living in Valley Springs, California. In the mid-‘80s Dave joined the NSRA and soon became the Northern California State Representative and for the past 25 years served as the Southwest Division Director.
family received this testimony from Sue Hendricks, one of Dave’s fellow cruisers; “To the Cahal family I want to say you did your dad proud. It was a very nice Celebration of Life and I know he would love the mag- net/dash plaque all us cruisers had made. I’m sure many of his buddies will have them dis- played in or on their car so he can keep going on road trips with us. He worked hard to make our road trips an adven- ture, not just a destination and
the Year.” He was the proud father of four children, five grandchildren, eight great- grandchildren and his homebuilt ’40 Ford Fordor with 150,000 memories on the odometer.
12 MARCH 2025
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