With his wife by his side, Dave Brau, 55, passed away peacefully on September 10th, 2023, at his home in his favorite seaside town of Gloucester, MA, after fighting a long battle against cancer.

Dave was born in Burlington, VT on November 2, 1967 to James Bond and Sandra Plumb, and was immediately adopted by Patricia Ashley Brau and Charles Henry Brau, then of Cambridge, MA. Dave had uniquely deep and loving relationships with Pat and Charlie Brau.

Raised in Lexington, Dave enjoyed his childhood on Wildwood Rd, graduating from Lexington High School in 1986. He remained close with many of his childhood buddies. He, like the rest of these friends, was an avid music fan from a young age and would happily sleep in his car to afford out-of-town concert tickets for the Grateful Dead and other bands. Though in later years he was no longer willing to sleep in his car, he continued to bond with his childhood friends through music, attending a Dead & Company show at Fenway Park. He more recently shared his interest in music with his wife by traveling to Houston to see the Arc Angels together.

To know Dave was to love him as he had a wonderfully level disposition, though always tilted more than a little toward happiness, humor, and acceptance. A truly selfless individual, it was often that Dave took the time to notice others and extend a helping hand, expressing sincere interest and appreciation for those around him. He would stop to provide cold water to construction workers he passed on a hot summer day, and would take his time with those who he thought may be in distress and in need of some kindness and a listening ear.

Dave was never scared of a hard day's work, and was the first to get his hands dirty. He was a lifelong learner, intrigued by the curiosities of physics, engineering, and the natural world. He was also a teacher to his daughter as well as many new truck drivers, and instilled the value of doing things thoroughly, with integrity, and not cutting corners.

Forever a motorhead, Dave worked for Mal's Service Center, in Lexington MA, for thirty years as a Certified Ultra-Heavy Duty Towing and Recovery Operator. Mal and his crew were family to Dave, as was the loyal brotherhood of tow operators and public safety officers around greater Boston.

He had many loves in his life including Boston sports (win or lose), any time spent behind the wheel of the biggest rig available, and conviviality of all kinds, but most of all he had three women he adored without limits: his ever-buoyant wife, Irene; his ambitious doctoral student daughter, Julia; and his indefatigable sister, Susan. He showered them with love and enthusiasm, and in turn, they served as his guiding light.

He took great pride in being from New England, and explored it from end-to-end, often with the adventurous Julia by his side. He loved camping in Acadia National Park, hiking the White Mountains, swimming in Vermont's Lake Fairlee, and sharing his nostalgia for the Wells and York seashore.

His popular Facebook page is filled with pictures of towing and hoisting challenges, all part of the work he loved. While retrieving an 18 wheeler from a snow-filled ravine was his bread and butter, Dave was equally happy pulling the Girl Scouts' float in Lexington's Patriots Day parade.

Although he appreciated things 'done right', he was rarely hemmed in by convention. He first helped raise his talented and beautiful daughter, Julia; then met and married the love of his life, Irene; and finally, through Julia's encouragement, discovered his biological parents, Jim and Sandy, and developed a close relationship with Jim (Sandy had already passed away). His life became richer, especially in its later years, as he nurtured his ever-growing family.

Dave leaves behind many friends and a closely knit family. He was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Patricia Brau, and his biological mother, Sandra Plumb. He is survived by his wife, Irene Moreira Brau, his daughter, Julia Brau, her fiancé, Connor St. George, his sister Susan Brau and her partner Andy Hazelton, Jim Bond (biological father) and his partner Beth Curtis, and Irene's children, Dominic and Drew Cirinna, Drew's fiancée, Shanish Nalubega, and their son, Eivor, as well as his niece, nephew, and many cousins, all of whom will deeply miss his presence at holidays, vacations, and family gatherings.

Visiting hours are from 4:00-7:00 PM at Douglass Funeral Home, 51 Worthen Street, Lexington, MA, on Thursday, September 14, 2023. A memorial mass will be held on Friday, September 15, 2023, at 10:00AM at Our Lady of the Good Voyage, 142 Prospect St, Gloucester, MA.  Burial to follow at Dolliver Cemetery, Lincoln St, Gloucester, MA. Celebration of Life to follow the burial at the Azorean Restaurant and Bar at 133 Washington St, Gloucester, MA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the International Towing Museum's Survivor Fund. The job of the towing operator is one of the most dangerous professions in the world. These men and women work perilously close to high-speed traffic and routinely face the danger of impaired, inattentive and distracted drivers. The Museum established its Survivor Fund to provide immediate financial support to families of towing operators who lose their lives in the line of service. https://internationaltowingmuseum.org/survivor-fund/