David Grant Visser

SAVANNAH, GA, USA – David Grant Visser (62) died November 4, 2020, at Candler Hospital in the care of nurses and doctors of the ICU. At 10:08 pm, he peacefully passed in the loving arms of his wife, Elsie.

He was born on November 28, 1957, in Pretoria, South Africa. He grew up in Pretoria and Mooi River and graduated high school at Pretoria Central Technicon.

He finished his degree at the University of South Africa in Business Management Systems. He further completed his Aircraft Electrical Systems apprenticeship at Atlas Aviation. Although David didn't serve in the military, he served the military as a key civilian specialist and continued his career supporting various air vehicles for the South African Air force. He was one of the first flight test instrumentation engineers on the Rooivalk Attack Helicopter.

David and his family immigrated to Toronto, Canada in March 1998 to work for Bombardier in the flight test department. During this time, David and his family accepted the diversity visa to become citizens of the United States of America. In September 1999, he and his family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where he was fortunate enough to continue his career working for the flight test center at Bombardier Learjet. During his 18-year career at Bombardier, he worked on various aircraft. David and Elsie then moved to Savannah to join the flight test team at Gulfstream in May 2016.

David is survived by his wife, Elsie Visser (64), of Savannah; his son Grant Visser (41), and his grandsons Collin Visser (11) and Mason Visser (8) of Dallas, Texas; his daughter and daughter-in-law, Genevieve (39) and Lynn Howitz (36), and his granddaughters Hannah Howitz (5) and Payton Howitz (11 months) of Cincinnati, Ohio.

David might have been a thorn in our side at times, but he left a hole in our hearts. His legacy will forever live on in all of us. We will never forget you or let your grandchildren forget the sacrifice you made for a brighter future for your family. We find peace knowing you are in your happy place with a drink in your hand, listening to music as loud as you can, eating chocolate, no outstanding little projects, no work, no worries, taking pictures, and reminding us to focus on the important things.

David's happiest times were when he was one with nature. As a living tribute, the family requests friends and loved ones plant flowers or trees in his memory. Due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the lockdown, the family selected to have a virtual memorial.

Also if you prefer to share private photos or stories please email the family at usavisser@gmail.com.