David Melville Prongay

David was born on December 28, 1926, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where his childhood fascination with flight set the direction of his long and wonderful life.

A camp counselor and Eagle Scout, he was led by a steady sense of purpose to join the U.S. Navy as soon as he came of age, serving stateside at the end of World War II. Following the war, David’s curiosity and ambition took him to Virginia Tech to study engineering, and after a year working for the Boeing Company in Seattle, to MIT for a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering.

An avid lover of the outdoors, David thrived in Seattle, living with friends at the College Club, and developing into an accomplished skier and squash player. On a blind date to Stevens Pass in 1962, he met his life’s love and greatest companion, Jody Kamm.

Having recently accepted a role with the Apollo Space Program in Huntsville, AL, David had plans to see Europe for the first time and ski in Switzerland with friends before heading south. With his departure clock ticking, he scuttled those plans to marry Jody just three months after their first date. Happily repurposing ski funds for a honeymoon in Bermuda, the couple headed south where they raised three children and immersed themselves for 15 years in the excitement of the U.S. space program.

Returning to Seattle in 1977 with their three children, David and Jody settled on Bainbridge Island, where they lived for the remainder of their lives. In his 40-year career with Boeing, David led teams of engineers for Apollo and Saturn V, the re-engineering of the Panama Canal, and Boeing’s first all-digital flight controls for their 747, 757, and 767 aircraft.

A proud father who loved to show up to cheer his children in their sports and arts events, it was only when each of those children lived overseas as adults that David and Jody finally began their own travels. Well into his 80s, he and Jody explored widely with family and dear friends through Europe, East Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

A lifelong athlete, David ran nearly every day, played squash at the Washington Athletic Club, or worked out with Jody at Island Fitness. With a slight build and gentle manner, he delighted in disarming (and beating) unwitting competitors who mistakenly underestimated him. His competitive spark never dimmed. At 92, David ran his final Bainbridge Grand Ol’ 4th race, and at 98, was still taking on shuffleboard or any game his caregivers could invent, ever determined to win and have a fun time doing it.

David was a man of deep devotion who always made time for his family, his friends, and the ties that tethered him across decades and distance. An active and contributing member to the leadership of St. Barnabas Church where he and Jody worshiped, he became an enthusiastic cook (aided by frequent trips to T&C), sang in the Bainbridge Chorale and the St. Barnabas Choir, and spent happy hours working on their home and in the garden.

Dying peacefully in the company of family on February 28, 2025, David was met on the other side by his wife, mother Ruth, father Melville, siblings Margaret and Rob, and countless friends, dogs and cats.

Left behind are his children Kamm (wife Liz), Rob (wife Kathy), and Vickery (co-parent Kevin), three beloved granddaughters, Ruby, Holly, and Talia, and adored family in North Carolina.

Memorial donations can be made to Bainbridge Schools Foundation or Island Volunteer Caregivers. 

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 2 p.m. at St. Barnabas Church, followed by a celebration of his life in the Parish Hall.