Honoring Service: Veteran David M. Close, WWII
Our reporting on local veterans is a collaboration with RyeVets.org to highlight those from Rye who have served our country across times of war and peace. There are over 2,100 veterans from the City of Rye. Learn more about how you can help research and write biographies of those that have served.
David M. Close was born in 1923 in Port Chester, NY, and moved to Rye at an early age. He and his family resided at 10 Horton Street in Rye for much of David’s childhood. Close graduated from Rye High School in 1941, where he played football under head coach Fran Welsh. Close was drafted to the US Army during World War II in the midst of his sophomore year of college at Hamilton College. After fighting overseas, David Close returned to Hamilton to earn his degree. He eventually settled in Wilton, CT, where he lived for the rest of his life alongside wife Ann Goodeve and their children. Close worked in advertising for the majority of his post-war life.
Date of Birth: 2/5/1923
Died On: 9/14/2019
Street Address: 10 Horton Street
Service Number: 12172909
Branch of Service: U.S. Army- 35th Infantry Division
David received 3 bronze stars for his heroism during his service.Service included time as a ski instructor in Camp Hale in Colorado, fighting Japanese forces at the Aleutian Islands, time in OCS, a trip to Europe to fight in the Battle of Bastogne, and more. He later shared in an interview with his son Peter that one of his most memorable moments as a soldier was helping a woman in Germany deliver a baby.
Close loved many activities during his life, including tennis, gardening, woodworking, skiing, travelling, and sailing, the last of which was how he met Ann Goodeve, his longtime wife. Goodeve was a sailing instructor at American Yacht Club when Close sailed there.
Beyond his greatest interests, David enjoyed community service initiatives, volunteering at the Child Guidance Center of Mid-Fairfield County and Meals on Wheels. Close was a longtime member of the Wilton Riding Club, Nutmeg Club, and Nod Hill Road Parade Patriots. Even in his final few years, Close remained active in his retirement community, cherishing his friendships, perfecting ship models, and taking up acrylic art.
David Monteith Close died on September 14, 2019, at the age of 96, surrounded by his loving family at his home in Connecticut. He was predeceased by his wife (married 62 years) and survived by his children Lindsay, Laurie, and Peter, as well as a healthy number of grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. More on Close.
