David Jules Alatalo, 63, of Cary, North Carolina, formerly of Maynard Massachusetts, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, September 20, 2025. One of five siblings, he was born on January 15, 1962 to the late Olavi and Olive (Ridler) Alatalo.
Dave graduated high school in 1980 and joined the Navy before heading to college at Westfield State University. Soon after, he met Judy (Ahern) Alatalo while they worked together at the Bank of New England. The pair married in 1991 and settled in Wilmington, Massachusetts, where they had three children: Erik, Sam, and Rachel Alatalo. Dave and Judy divorced in 2018, but stayed in touch.
Dave was a rare stay-at-home dad, and shaped a charming family home around his kids. He painted clouds on a bedroom ceiling, built a pool deck and a zipline in the backyard, even crafted a small canoe to go fishing in. During those years, he was involved in the community as a volunteer at the Woburn Street School, a soccer coach, and a neighbor who could strike up a conversation with just about anyone.
As the kids grew up and went on to college, Dave stayed devoted to his interests. He could spend hours in the yard tending to the garden, playing with the dog, or adjusting the pool water to the perfect temperature and pH balance. He got a part-time job as a bartender and got particular joy out of crafting nightly cocktail specials that he excitedly shared on Facebook.
In his later years, Dave strove for independence. He struck off on his own for North Carolina, following a dream he had carried for decades: to live somewhere that was warm year round. He spent many days in the sun by the pool, camping in the woods, and fishing at lakes around Raleigh.
Though he struggled with his health on and off for many years, Dave leaves behind fond memories. He was known to blast rock music from his Pandora station in the morning, spout quotes from movies like Apocalypto and The Thirteenth Warrior out of the blue, and share pictures of every bird, coyote, deer, or other animal he came across.
David is survived by his children, Erik, Samuel, and Rachel Alatalo & their fiancé Harrison Nekoroski, his ex-wife Judy (Ahern) Alatalo, his siblings Philip Alatalo & Heather Shepley, Susan Alatalo, The Rogue, Jane (Alatalo) & Ronald Biagi, Jr.; and his nieces and nephews, Stephanie (Biagi) & Jacob Klein, Katy (Biagi) & Cody Ward, Tim Biagi, and William Fry.
Preceding David in death are his parents, Olive and Olavi Alatalo, and his sister-in-law, Karin Fry.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 5, 2025 from 12:00 - 2:00 pm at Rogers Funeral Home, 380 Cambridge Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in David’s memory may be directed to the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, NAMI, or an organization of your choice.