David Lee Gasperson always wanted to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and become a firefighter. He fulfilled his dream and began a 26-year career with the Salinas Fire Department where he rose through the ranks to become captain and named Firefighter of the year for the Salinas Fire Department in 1989. In December of 2015, David succumbed to the effects of job-related cancer. He is survived by his son Steven, his stepson Michael, and his stepdaughter Cathleen.