Haines Economic Development Corporation executive director David Simmons, 30, is missing and presumed dead as a result of a Dec. 2 landslide at the home he shared with partner Libby Jacobson. Simmons owned Hinterland Express, a shuttle-bus service between Haines and Whitehorse. He was a driver and tour guide, and had fun dressed in lederhosen and learning more about his clients. It helped that he spoke German, French and Russian fluently.

Simmons settled in Haines in 2018 following years of living abroad. After visiting his cousin Cambria Goodwin during the Southeast Alaska State Fair, he quit a corporate job in Germany and moved here. He worked for Goodwin at the Alpenglow pizzeria, started his business, played city league basketball, skied, hiked, fished, hunted, boated and bought a waterfront home on Beach Road and put down roots. When the pandemic closed the border and his business, Tyler Swinton hired him to work as a clerk at Olerud's Market Center. Simmons took it upon himself to increase the efficiency of the ordering system and rearranged the pastry display and doubled the muffin sales, Swinton told the Chilkat Valley News.

He met Jacobson at the Alpenglow and they fell in love. They gardened and worked on their home together and had plans to purchase adjacent parcels to preserve the cove known as Full Moon Bay and surrounding forest. Their place was a center for friends and family, with bonfires on the beach, and dance parties. "The people in Haines are a huge element of why I stayed and want to be here the rest of my life," Simmons told a travel interviewer in September. They sat outside in his yard, with a view of the inlet through the trees. "But it's also this land. There is something in these mountains, in this area, that speaks to my soul."

Friend and HEDC president Gregg Schlacter praised Simmons and mourned the personal and community loss. He noted that Simmons had great ideas, energy and leadership skills and would have helped make Haines more prosperous, "David was so capable of pushing projects forward. He loved being a champion for Haines."

David Simmons was born on April 9, 1990 in Chico, California. He grew up there with his parents Randall and Rochelle Simmons and sister Michaela. His father said he was a straight A student and all-star varsity basketball and baseball player that led championship teams at Pleasant Valley High in both sports. He was selected by his classmates to be the 2008 commencement speaker. He especially loved baseball. "David started switch-hitting when he was five years old in order to make it to the professional ranks," his dad, who also coached him on youth teams, said. They had a full-size 60-foot batting cage with a pitching machine in the backyard. Simmons played first base and pitched at Shasta Junior College in Redding California, and the following year moved to Germany to attend Deggendorf Institute of Technology and play semi-pro baseball. He learned German to communicate with his teammates.

Simmons completed his bachelor's degree in business administration at California State University and earned a master's degree in international business studies in Nuremberg, Germany. In 2016-17 he served as a Fulbright scholar attached to the United States Embassy in Minsk, Belarus. He was also a university lecturer, and worked in international marketing and sales in Germany.

During the last 10 years Simmons visited, filmed and wrote about adventures in 77 countries. He circled the globe three times-- couch surfing. (And had over 400,000 views on a YouTube video series he produced explaining how to use free airline miles.) "It changed me absolutely. I saw people as people and not nationalities," he said. "We are one human community... no matter what passport we carry, what religion, what color."

He was writing a book about his experiences as part of his "World as One" multimedia project at the time of his death. He had recently bought a new computer for the task, but had dropped it and sent it out to be fixed before he had used it much. His father assumed his book was on the old one and lost in the landslide. Last week the repaired computer returned in the mail, and "the miracle is that the manuscript showed up on it." The videos did not. A few days later a German friend revealed that she had back-up files of all the material. A well-connected travel writer, filmmaker and fan of Simmons work has offered to help edit, publish, and promote the project. Randy Simmons and Libby Jacobson will write the last chapter together.

His father is grateful that he and his son spoke often and always shared their feelings. "David knew how much I loved him. We told each other so every time we talked," he said.

Cards may be sent to the Simmons' family at 1505 Sheridan Ave. Chico, CA 95926.