C. David Averka, 80.

AUBURN C. David Averka, 80, of Auburn, died Monday, October 17, 2011 in the Lutheran Healthcare Center, Worcester, following a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

He leaves his beloved wife of 58 years, Marjorie (Werme) Averka; his three children, Debra Erickson and her husband Robert of Oxford, Steven Averka and his wife Carol of Sutton, and Bradley Averka and his wife Kathleen of Sutton; his two sisters, Joyce Bottom and her husband Frank of Dennis and Jacqueline Norman and her husband Robert of Douglas; his six grandchildren, Melissa Connolly and her husband John of Carlsbad, CA, Jeffrey Erickson of Dudley, Jacob, Jesse, Lauren and Jack Averka all of Sutton; his two great grandchildren, Alexa Erickson and Kier Connolly; as well as several nieces and nephews. David was born in Worcester, son of the late John C. and Esther P. (Joyce) Averka, and has lived in Auburn for most of his life. He graduated from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at UMass Amherst. David was a proud US Army veteran of the Korean War, and later served in the Army Reserves as a pilot, and was discharged as a Captain in 1967. David then spent several years in Phoenix, AZ, where he worked as a police officer. He then returned to Massachusetts to join the family business as a certified arborist for the former Brewer Tree Expert Company, and then the Averka Tree Expert Company, where he worked until his retirement. David's love of his community lead to his serving as a commissioner for...