David A. Pronovost

David Arthur Pronovost, 66, passed away Nov. 7 after a short illness, with his family by his side.
He was born Feb. 20, 1958, in Hartford Hospital (also where he died...he'd want you all to know that fact: "that be something, right?") to Arthur and Marilyn Pronovost. He lived in Bloomfield as a very young boy before his family moved to Vernon, where he lived the rest of his life. With a voice incapable of whispering and a desire to talk to and hug almost everyone he encountered (usually after wandering away from his family), there was a time when it was rare to find a person in Vernon who didn't say "oh yea, I know David."
He is predeceased by his parents, who fought tirelessly to find opportunities for David that provided him as close to a normal life as possible in a time when intellectually disabled individuals were often cast aside in state-run institutions.
David leaves his loving siblings and their families: Carol Wright, Susan (Jim) Tarrant, and Allan (Ann) Pronovost, and nephews Matthew Wright, Benjamin and Nicholas Pronovost, and Sam Tarrant. He also leaves his housemates of his group home in Vernon, with whom he lived for more than 30 years-mostly getting along, but sometimes fighting like family.
David was equal parts grumpy and sweet, rude and funny, demanding and loving, intellectually stunted yet incredibly knowledgeable about topics that interested him. He lost most of his hearing as he aged, yet he still knew when someone was talking in a whisper in the next room about treats or a gift for him.
He loved reading about science, horticulture, and the human body. He was adept at growing plants from seed (though he would often pull them up in order to check on root development). In his younger days, he enjoyed camping with his family, trips to Florida and Washington, D.C, and competing in the Special Olympics. When age took much of his agility and mobility, he loved copying recipes onto notepaper and spending hours at his kitchen table doing puzzles. And God help the person who showed up to visit him without a coffee or his beloved "mocha" drink as an offering.
Throughout his adult life he was provided a safe and respectful home through MARCH Inc. Though his developmental and physical challenges were many, David lived a life marked by achievements, friendships, and an unforgettable presence. Mostly, it was marked by love.
He leaves his family and friends with a hole in their hearts, but with hundreds of stories that will live on to be retold through laughter.
Calling hours will be Friday, Nov. 22, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Holmes Watkins Funeral Home, 400 Main St., Manchester, CT. Burial will be private.