David Stephen Gilbert made most of every day

"Carpe Diem - Seize the day".
It was the philosophy David Stephen Gilbert lived his life by, says his widow Sonya.
During his 45 years of life - cut short on Anzac Day after he lost his 10-month battle with esophageal cancer - Mr Gilbert crammed every day pursuing his many varied interests.
It was a life also filled with heaps of fun and laughter, Mrs Gilbert said.
That included renewing their vows in a larger-than-life ceremony in the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas in October last year.
Their 8-year-old daughter Estella was bridesmaid and good friends Darragh Fitzpatrick and his wife, Jessica, flew in from New York to be their witnesses.
Mrs Gilbert, 45, said an Elvis impersonator gave her away and afterwards they cruised the Las Vegas strip in a limousine and stayed in the plush Paris Hotel shaped like the Eiffel Tower.
"It was the absolute bomb," she said.
Te Aroha-born Mr Gilbert and his wife have lived in Tauranga since 1999 and bought and sold a beach house before building their "dream house" in Papamoa Beach six years ago.
The couple celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on April 19, just days before Mr Gilbert died in Waipuna Hospice.
He was farewelled at St Peter's Anglican Church in Mount Maunganui on April 29.
Mr Gilbert, who was dry goods manager at Fraser Cover Countdown Supermarket, was instrumental in helping set up the largest supermarket in the Southern Hemisphere, Mrs Gilbert said.
As an indication of how well-respected her husband was, 65 staff from Countdown branches in the Bay attended his funeral and formed an honour guard for him, she said.
Mrs Gilbert said her husband was first diagnosed with cancer at age 22 and underwent chemotherapy and several operations that delayed their plans to travel and have children.
In December 2009 Mr Gilbert, who did not smoke, started experiencing digestive problems and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer 10 months ago after he started having difficulty swallowing.
Eventually he had to have a tube inserted to enable him to eat.
"During our 25 years of married life we knew there was always the possibility that the cancer may return and we have lived life to the full with that knowledge and really seized the day as much as possible," she said.
"Seize the day and live each day to the full, that was Dave's outlook on life. People need to do that anyway. You don't have to get cancer to do that but it certainly prompted us to do that."
Mrs Gilbert said her husband's varied interests included his love of food, photography, gardening, motorbikes, cycling, theatre and music and they attended many shows and concerts over the years.
She said Dave had a really keen sense of adventure.
"Dave liked nothing better than pushing himself to the limits and he used to ride his motorbike until he scared himself white and loved it."
She said her husband was a great cook and he was going to be a trialist in this season's MasterChef competition before he became too unwell.
They were both active supporters of the Cancer Society, saying cancer research and early diagnosis was crucial.
Mr Gilbert, a member of the Morrinsville Wheelers Cycling Club, had planned to ride in the Avanti Rotorua to Taupo 100k Flyer on April 2 with his best mate, Gary Nisbet, to help raise awareness of esophageal cancer, which isn't a "sexy" type of cancer that got lots of publicity, she said.
"Dave was a very loving and caring man, a great husband and father and friend to many. We had a fabulous fun life together. His proudest moment in life was the long-awaited birth of his child, Estella," said Mrs Gilbert.