WEST FAIRLEE, VT – David Brown Smallwood, 55, died on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Cedar Hill Care Center in Windsor, VT, due to complications from cancer.

Dave was born March 12, 1970, in Whittier, CA, the second son of parents Robert T. and Shirley (Brown) Smallwood. The family soon moved to Dunwoody, GA, where he grew up and spent his early adulthood. His experiences in Scouting with Troop 463 helped to shape his life and love of nature; he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and continued in Scouting in the role of assistant Scoutmaster. Each summer he looked forward to camp and attended Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico three times, eventually becoming an assistant leader.

He graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in English and spent one year studying in France. After graduation, Dave taught English in Korea for several years and made many lifelong friends there. After returning to the United States, he worked at his alma mater, UGA. It was at that time that Dave reconnected with Karen Lenz, a college friend, and the two began dating. Karen was working in the Washington, DC, area and as their relationship blossomed, Dave moved there to be with her. In addition to working, Dave studied Peacekeeping Operations at George Mason University. The couple married in 2003 and in 2006, their daughter Margaret was born in Arlington, VA.

Dave's interest in Eastern culture, religions, and philosophy, and his love of nature, took the family to New Mexico, where he studied and worked at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM. Their son Nicholas was born in Albuquerque in 2009. The children have many fond memories of hiking the foothills, designing rock mosaics in their yard, taking in neighborhood cats, and sliding down the artificial turf hill at the Georgia O'Keefe Elementary playground in a laundry basket.

In 2014, the family moved to Grantham, NH, to be closer to Karen's family and the kids traded their laundry basket for sleds and real snow. While Dave and Karen's marriage dissolved in 2018, they remained close friends and co-parents to their two children and intentionally lived close to one another in Vermont.

In New England, Dave continued to share his love of the outdoors with his children, teaching the kids to identify different plant and tree species. He also enjoyed spending time hunting for interesting rocks and pottery in the streams and hills that he would arrange into interesting displays. Like his mother and son, Dave had an artistic streak and was naturally talented at drawing. He left behind many drawings, sketches, and doodles. He was exceedingly proud of both of his children's passions, talents, and the young adults they are becoming.

Locally, Dave worked at Dartmouth College in Campus Services and Human Resources from 2015 until 2021 and, most recently, worked as a special education paraeducator at Westshire Elementary School in West Fairlee, where he made a lasting impact on many of the children's lives and was always working to make a difference.

Many of Dave's colleagues talked about how he was able to connect with kids others hadn't been able to and how the children loved "Mr. Dave," often yelling out their car window at him as they passed his apartment near the school. Students bonded with Dave quickly and one co-worker said he often had a line of students who waited for "just" his help. He was also called, "kind, dependable, and caring," and because he lived nearby, Dave would go out of his way to take care of a class pet rabbit on weekends and over holidays.

He is survived by his children, Margaret and Nicholas Smallwood, of Thetford Center, VT; his brother Robert Smallwood and wife, Lisa, of Raleigh, NC; his former wife, Karen, and her partner Darren Marcy of Thetford Center; and his beloved cat, Tuk.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his paternal grandparents Robert and Maude (Calhoun) Smallwood, and his maternal grandparents Glynn and Elma Lucy (Barnett) Brown.

Private services have been held and memorial donations may be made in Dave's name to the Vermont Children's Trust Foundation at (https://vtchildrenstrust.org/), which was an organization that Dave supported as a champion for Vermont's children.

Knight Funeral Home of White River Junction, VT, handled the arrangements and condolences may be expressed at www.knightfuneralhomes.com.