David Westerbeke

May 8, 1949 - October 5, 2022

Lifelong musician and Marin/Sonoma native David Richard Westerbeke passed away on October 5th, 2022 at the age of 73. David was, up until the day of his death, a larger-than-life presence, lighting up any room with his jovial spirit, good humor and, of course, his trusty guitar. He devoted his life to music as a songwriter, guitarist and lead singer, playing in several bands from the 1960s to present day that ran the gamut from soul to rock and country. His group Frank Biner and the Night Shift often opened for Tower of Power in the 1970s. The Crocodiles (a band formed with Tim Cain of Sons of Champlin) played together for over 18 years. And for the past 14 years he has been living it up as alter ego “Buck Nickels” of Buck Nickels and the Loose Change, a local country and western favorite he formed with Larry “Loose Change” Cragg, CC “Colorado” Dawson and “Rawhide” Ross Perry.

David was born on May 8th,1949 in San Francisco to Patricia and Donald Westerbeke. He spent his childhood exploring a considerably wilder and untamed version of Marin and Sonoma, hiking, horseback riding and setting off on countless adventures with his siblings Wendy, Suzy and Van. This love of nature continued into adulthood, and when he wasn’t playing his guitar or sharing his encyclopedic knowledge of music, he could often be seen mountain biking on Mt Tam or walking the wildflower fields in Sonoma. He was also an avid skier, a sport he picked up during his boarding school days in Colorado.

David split his time between Mill Valley and Sonoma where he lived with the love of his life for over forty years: Aileen Westerbeke, also known as fashion designer Eileen West, who passed away in 2017. He is survived by his daughter Julia Westerbeke, her husband Matthew Quinn and his grandson Beckett Quinn, who even at the tender age of five delighted in playing with Grandpa in their own special band, Runaway Bacon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Music Therapy Program at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco by visiting https://makeagift. ucsf.edu/creativearts.