The man
In 1950, Dave’s goal was to become the manager of the Hobby House. However, the Korean War broke out and Dave was sure he’d be drafted. He joined the Army. Since he was only 17, Rex had to co-sign his application. Of course, Phil supported Dave’s decision and promised a job at the Hobby House when he returned from duty.
While in the Army, Dave’s restaurant knowledge got him into the Cook and Baker’s School. There he gained important experience that would help him achieve his boyhood dream. From organizing the various products needed to cook multiple menu items to running a grill through busy lunch and dinner hours, and mixing ingredients to make cakes and pies for thousands of hungry soldiers, Dave was earning a “M.B.A.” in restaurant management through on-the-job training.
He was also building a lot of self-confidence. The Army allowed Dave to be an entrepreneur. He grew from supervising a crew in the mess hall to managing the NCO Club (Non-Commissioned Officer). At each stop he showed initiative by trying new things, learning from mistakes, and improving soldier morale. The old cliché that the “Army will make you a man” held true for Dave, but not as a fighting soldier. Rather, he found his self-worth and purpose.
When Dave’s active duty ended, he knew the Hobby House was his next stop. But he also had this burning desire to find his birth mother, Mollie. He still carried that wrenching feeling of not being wanted. The loneliness as a child never went away. He hoped he would get some answers, but he was also scared of what he might find. Grandma Minnie said Mollie lived around Philadelphia, so Dave went looking. He was able to see his adoption papers and found a home address across the Delaware river in Camden, New Jersey.
Mollie’s mom and dad still lived there, however Mollie died about two years earlier. When Dave showed up at their house, his birth grandfather sobbed. He recognized how much Dave looked like his daughter. Dave learned his birth family practiced a strict religion. Bearing children outside of marriage was forbidden. The only solution was giving baby Dave to an adoption agency. The rest is history.
Mollie eventually got married to another man but didn’t have any more children. Dave’s grandparents showed kind affection to him and began a friendship that lasted until their deaths.