Dave grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, thirty miles from New York City and then went to Cornell University, from which he graduated in 1960 with a B.A. degree in Government and where he met his future wife Mary.
While in college, he earned a Private Pilot’s License, although he no longer actively flies. Before settling in the Ithaca, NY area, he served on active duty as a Missile Launch Officer with the U.S. Air Force from 1960-1964 at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington. While serving in the Air Force, he gained an Amateur Radio License with the current call sign of W2CFP.
Dave joined the Ithaca Rotary Club in 1966, and has served his Club in many capacities, including President in 1972-1973. In District 7170 he has also served in many capacities, including GSE Team Leader to District 927 South Africa in 1987 and member or chairman of several committees. He served as District Governor in 1989-1990, and as Chairman of the NY-PENN Multi-District PETS held in Binghamton in March of 1994.
He currently serves as District Fellowship Chairman and Internet Communications Officer. In his club, he is a member of “New Member Orientation” committee. In RI he has been active in many World Fellowship Activities including the ICUFR, where he currently serves as Director; Rotarians on the Internet; the Rotarians of Amateur Radio; the Flying Rotarians; the Railroad Fellowship; the Music Fellowship and the Wine Fellowship.
In 1991-1992 he served as a member of the International World Fellowship Activities Committee, and for 1992-1994 was USCB Regional Coordinator for the World Fellowship Activities Task Force. He is “list owner” for rotary@taranto.com. David and Mary have attended twenty International Conventions. Dave has also attended eleven International Institutes and eleven Zone Institutes.
In 1992, Dave received one of the first 56 "Service Above Self" Awards to be given by Rotary International. In October of 2000 he was elected Northeast Regional Vice President of the National Railway Historical Society, with responsibility for New York State, excepting the metropolitan area and Long Island and Ontario, Canada. This came about due to a renewed interest in a childhood love of railroads.
 David and Mary are co-owners of Starlane Farms in Lansing, where they breed and raise Clydesdale and Cleveland Bay horses. The Flinn family is also in a partnership that operates Whitetail Crossing vacation cottages on Cayuga Lake.
Previously Dave was involved in several electronic-related businesses in Ithaca and Syracuse, from which he has now retired. Mary and David have two sons, Dale (who is also an Ithaca Rotarian) and Glenn; a granddaughter and a grandson.
All members of the family are Paul Harris Fellows, and Dave is also a Foundation Benefactor |
