David "Dave" Jordan David "Dave" Jordan, 85, who retired from the U.S. Navy, died Thursday, Aug. 10, 2006, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife, Mertis E. "Mert" Jordan. The service will be at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday at Culley's MeadowWood Funeral Home, Riggins Road Chapel (850-877-8191).The family will receive friends from 2 p.m. EDT until the service Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be at 2 p.m. EDT Monday at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. A celebration of his life will be after the service at the home of Kurt and Vicki Spitzer, 693 Forest Lair Road. Dave was born on Nov. 6, 1920, in Barrow-in-Furness, England.He traveled with his family by steamer to Windsor, Canada, at 6 months old. His father lost his job during the Depression and the family journeyed to Florida to find work. Along the way, Dave's father died, leaving him and his family to find their way to Tampa. Dave worked hard to help and eventually found a job "jerking sodas" at the Shea and Prange drugstore in Tampa.It was there that he made many lifetime friends and met his future wife, Mertis Estelle Millican. Dave became a naturalized citizen of the United States at age 21 and joined the Navy during World War II. He studied to be an aircraft mechanic at Naval Air Station Pensacola and shipped overseas on the very day that the Japanese surrendered.He saw the celebration in San Francisco from his ship on his way to Guam, where he served two years assisting in the dismantling of wartime machinery. Dave returned to Tampa in 1947 and married Mertis. They moved to Jacksonville and he found work at the naval air station as a civil servant. He worked on the line for many years and then joined a section called Overhaul and Repair.In this position he traveled extensively, fixing airplanes on aircraft carriers and naval bases around the world. Dave and Mert had three daughters, Marsha, Jan and Karen. His life was devoted to Mert, his children and his home. He could fix anything and used his artistic and creative talent to build many beautiful items.He loved to barbecue and enjoyed libations of all kinds, especially beer. Dave is survived by his loving wife of 59 years; his daughters, Marsha Jordan, Jan Jordan Walters (and husband John Paul) and Karen Jordan Passman (and husband Michael); three grandchildren, Grayson Lee Walters, David Jordan Walters and Christopher Passman; and a devoted family friend, Nancy Daniels.