'Free, loving soul': Loved ones remember Phoenix high school coach killed in shooting
David Denogean had a lot of passions in life, including his love for music, sports and teaching. That's how his family and friends remember him while continuing their fight for justice to be brought after his death in November.
During Thanksgiving weekend, the 30-year-old was walking his dog Evie when he was fatally shot by an unknown man at the entrance of Feeney’s Restaurant & Bar parking lot, near 12th Street and Maryland Avenue. The shooter ran from the scene and has yet to be found, according to Phoenix police.
Daniel Denogean, David’s younger brother, said David was always there for his family and helped them in whatever they needed. With his loss, they feel like they lost a piece of themselves.
“We just got to continue to remember all the great times we had with Dave and just honor him. he’s smiling down upon us. He’s still here for us,” Denogean said.
Denogean said he wants to honor David's memory by living life as he did.
“I feel like all we can do is just honor him with all the memories that we have and continue to do the things that he wanted to do and loved to do, go to the concerts or ASU games… he just loved life and living life to the fullest,” Denogean said.
Previously:Man dies after being shot at Phoenix parking lot
'A free, loving soul'
Denogean said there was never a dull moment with David, who would make people laugh by reciting quotes from movies.
“He was just such a free, loving soul,” Denogean said.
His brother was always doing something, according to Denogean, whether it be coaching his team, playing video games, listening to podcasts about history, hiking, playing board games with friends or hanging out with his family.
Growing up they shared a room, and Denogean remembered how they played video games, basketball, football, hockey on the street and hide and seek with their neighbors. Later in life, they shared their enjoyment for music.
Denogean said David’s love for music was “insane” and he listened to many artists.
“He loved so many different bands and had such a big taste in music that he opened my world… every concert I went to with him was just a lot of fun,” Denogean said.
Blink 182 was their favorite band. Denogean said they got to see them perform at least twice, and one of those times David protected him from the tight crowd.
“There was just so many people and it was just so tight, and I remember Dave was kind of making a big shield around me," Denogean said. "And I was like ‘Dave, I need to get out of here,’ and he helped me crowd surf all the way to the front to where I could get out and get water.”
David enjoyed going to concerts so much that he would show up to different venues or theaters once a week or every other week to attend one, Denogean said. Sometimes Denogean tagged along to the concerts with David, and the last show they saw together was Franz Ferdinand in The Van Buren, a music venue in Phoenix, in 2018.
“It was a band that we grew up listening to when we were younger… and it was just a lot of fun,” Denogean said. “I really wish I got to see another concert with him recently, but that was a great memory that I’ll never forget.”
Loss felt by loved ones, students and colleagues
Besides music, sports were also an important part of his life. He was a fan of the Diamondbacks and of the Phoenix Suns. David would go with his father and brother to basketball and football games at his alma mater, Arizona State University.
He also played sports, including football and discus throw, which eventually led him to become a track and field coach at Camelback High School.
David had been a substitute teacher for at least two years at the school and had been teaching English as a second language. In February, he joined as a coach in the track and field team.
James Arndt, principal at Camelback High School, said David was determined, kind and an easy person to connect with.
Arndt said he believes David put a lot of work into his job because he loved schools and working with kids.
“He never shied from any challenge. He would show up every day and whatever the need was, he stepped up and did a fantastic job,” Arndt said.
As a coach, David helped improve the skills of many of the teens, even those who had not practiced track and field before, Tori Anderson, who also coached track and field at Camelback High School, said. He was also very patient and looked out for the children, helping them if they had anxiety or felt sick.
David spent a lot of time with the kids on the team, especially the throwers he trained, and got to know them very well. They adored him, Anderson said.
“Everyone on the team knew him, connected with him, communicated with him and feels his absence. They describe him as being kind and good-natured and friendly and supportive,” Anderson said.
David’s sudden loss has affected the children and affected the bonds they had been building as a team, according to Anderson.
“He knows their likes, their dislikes, their triggers, what makes them happy, what will make them successful, what to say to them to pull them out of a funk. When that has been taken away, these kids are not only losing one of the pillars of their team, but they're also losing the connections that they've built with him,” Anderson said.
David and Anderson had great ideas on how to grow the program. She said his loss has been hard on her as well as she has been managing her grief and her athletes' grief.
“He was kind, and he was funny and he just had a big heart and was genuine. He genuinely wanted to help people and do good things, and he had a very profound impact on those who got to know him and he made a difference,” Anderson said
Anderson said she feels she owes it to David’s memory that the team does as well as they can moving forward in the program.
“It is now one of the last things he did. And so it makes it that much more vital that it be a fitting and worthy tribute of the person he was, the coach he was and his vision,” Anderson said. “So it's not just a program anymore. It is David Denogean’s legacy.”
Arndt said a lot of people are grieving in the school community and across the district and city.
“While I personally feel very sad about David's loss, I also feel very sad about my staff and my students and how it's affecting all of them. So I think all of us are okay, but there's no denying there's a feeling of grief over the school, over the community,” Arndt said.
The school district has made social workers, counselors and wellness specialists available for staff and students who need someone to talk to, Arndt said.
The track and field team has been brainstorming some ideas to memorialize David and keep his presence in the spring season. They also plan to have a ceremony in his honor at the first meet they are hosting, according to Anderson.
“There’s just so many elements of who he was and what he does with the kids. And what he meant to the program in general, but the kids specifically that cannot be replaced, cannot be duplicated. And it's going to be a giant void,” Anderson said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Phoenix police at 602-262-6151, or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS, or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers. There could be a reward for up to $2,000 for information on the case.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Loved ones remember Camelback HS coach killed in shooting
