Following his passions to build an extraordinary life: The Dave Ives story

AEROSPACE engineer, property investor, highly-regarded author – Alice Springs’ Dave Ives is living an extraordinary life pursuing his passions, following his heart, and marching to the beat of his own drum.

Dave Ives is a patriot – of both America and Alice Springs.

Dave spent 30 years of his life working in the defence industry, including 11 years with the United States Airforce and then another two decades in the private sector.

An aerospace engineer, who started out as a medic, Dave’s distinguished career brought him to Alice Springs.

Dave has always preferred to march to the beat of his own drum, and this culminated in the gutsy decision in 2009 to walk away from his career of 30 years.

It was time for Dave to truly unfurl his wings, and a magnificent career as an author has flourished.

First and foremost, Dave is a family man, with the loves of his being wife Marieta and daughters Francesca – ‘Chez’ and Maria – ‘MC’.

“Whenever I travel back to the old country … there’s a new thing they are doing there now … when people find out you’re a veteran, they say ‘Thank you for your service’,” he said.

“I’m the one who’s thankful! I’m thankful the airforce would have me!”

For Dave, the airforce was the ignition switch to life, and took him from a boy to a man.

Dave was born in Massachusetts and grew up in New Hampshire.

“Dad’s name was Cornelius. He hated it! So he was ‘Connie’. My grandmother wanted me to be named Cornelius – my Dad refused!,” he said.

“My mum is Lois.

“I have a twin brother Steve – he’s nothing like me: he’s a great guy, with a great personality!

“Then there’s Paul, he’s a year and a half younger. He looks like me!

“Then I have three sisters, Anne, Susan and Jennifer.”

As a kid, Dave dreamt of becoming an ice hockey star, and a rockstar!

“I loved ice hockey! When you know you love something, especially as a kid … I just loved it!

Dave was a gun player, but missed out on a making representative team. As often happens in junior sport, politics was at play.

“It all ended when I was cut from the team. The coach was from a particular high school, and he’d promised those parents their kids would make the team, and dad explained that to me. It was a crushing thing!”

The pucks were put away, and out came the guitar pick.

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“I picked up a guitar at 15. I loved it, just plucking the electric guitar – it was so awesome!

“I saw other guys playing, and I thought, ‘If that guy can play, I can play!’

“I’d hang out with my buddies and play. I’d rehearse on my own, and keep trying to get better.

“I was in a band thinking of going on to do great and wonderful things.

“Then I got disillusioned when I saw guys that were older than me and more talented, and they’re going to the same gigs as me, and they’re broke and busted.”

Then came the game-changer.

“I was 20, I was living at home with mum and dad, I wasn’t earning a lot of money. I was at work one day, and I asked a guy who was older than me for advice,” he said.

“He said, ‘If I were you, I’d join the military and get a trade’. That afternoon I drove to the recruitment office in Nashua, New Hampshire.”

Three months later, Dave was in San Antonio, Texas, at airforce basic training.

It was soon discovered Dave was colourblind, which curtailed his options, but it was decided he’d become a medic.

After a couple of years, he took a series of tests and the military sent him to college to become an aerospace engineer, and then on to officer training school.

Dave’s career as an engineer and desire for adventure brought him to the former Joint-Defence Facility in Woomera, South Australia.

“I met Marieta the second day I was in Woomera. She was cutting hair, at first sight I knew this was the girl for me.

“10 months later we were married! And we’ve just had our 30th anniversary!

Dave says Marieta and daughters ‘Chez’ and ‘MC’ are “very special. They’re my whole life. They’re a lot of fun!”

Dave Ives and his daughters Chez and MC in Nashville, Tennessee. Picture: Supplied

After a stint back Stateside, Dave returned to Woomera and then came to Alice Springs.

After years out at Pine Gap, one day in 2009, Dave walked into his boss’ office and said he was done.

“My dad’s death influenced me to make that decision,” he said.

“He was an engineer too, he retired when he was 66, and a year later he was gone.

“I thought, ‘Wait a minute, I’m on the same path’.”

Dave wanted to take full control of his own destiny.

Over the years Dave has accumulated a wonderful property portfolio across Australia and the USA.

With financial security, he had been able to return to his artistic roots.

Dave has become a highly-regarded author. His first book, ‘Working My But Off – Reflections of a Property Investor’ is an inspiring life advice piece.

It works on the premise of helping people get past the ‘But’ that might be holding them back from pursuing their dreams.

In recent times, Dave has turned his hand to action adventures novels.

He adapts real life stories from his experiences in the military, forming a series of novels around the central character ‘Sean Mitchell’.

“I want my books to be about adventure. They are fiction, but they are pretty true. I take my experiences, and then use fiction to tie it all together,” he said.

Dave has written six books, and is currently writing his seventh, which will be adapted from his time at college.

You can see Dave’s ‘Sean Mitchell’ becoming the next ‘Jack Ryan’-type, and on the Hollywood big screen.

For more information about Dave and his books, you can head to his website ivesguy.com.

Dave is also back in to writing and performing music.

Dave Ives and his daughters Chez and MC in Nashville, Tennessee. Picture: Supplied

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Despite leaving Pine Gap more than 10 years ago, Alice is the place he wants to remain.

“I even bought a house in Hervey Bay to live. But then I realised, there is no law that says you have to leave Alice Springs!,” he said.

The longer I live here, the more I want to live here. The relationships and friendships here are powerful.

“It an easy place to get to know people, to get to really know people!”

Dave Ives is living an extraordinary life, pursuing his passions, following his heart, and marching to the beat of his own drum.