Obituary: David Nicholas Boggs, 1990-2026

I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say, “bless you”
when someone sneezes … And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other.
We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot,
and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile
at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress
to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder,
and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass.
We have so little of each other, now. So far
from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange.
What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these
fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here,
have my seat,” “Go ahead — you first,” “I like your hat.” — Danusha Lameris

An excerpt from David’s favorite poem, “Small Kindnesses,” that hangs in his home; a beautiful testament to his everyday-kindness ethos for life. It is with immense sorrow that we announce the death of David Nicholas Boggs, age 35, who tragically passed away on Saturday, August 29, 2026. He was born on November 28, 1990, in San Jose, Calif., to Earl Boggs and Janet Boggs.

In his youth, David enjoyed playing soccer, acting in community theater and humanitarian trips through various church groups. David was particularly passionate about “Camp Hammer,” where in later years he became a camp nurse for the organization. He graduated from Milpitas High School in 2009 and went on to attend George Fox University in Newburg, Ore., achieving his BS in nursing in 2013. David began his career between Roanoke, Va., and Washington, D.C., as a full-time nurse, later deciding to become a travel nurse serving communities between Washington, D.C., and Virginia. Travel nursing brought David to Vermont in 2016.

After meeting his future partner, Cory, David decided to stay on as a full-time employee at the University of Vermont Medical Center, where he worked in the Medical ICU. He also served as a school nurse at Rock Point School in Burlington for two years while still working at the hospital. Serving his community in philanthropic pursuits has been a thread through David’s entire life.

David and his husband, Cory, were true soulmates, always together. The pair were deeply embedded in their local Vermont communities, both Burlington and Jericho, where they made their home. Cory and David were everywhere, always: driving around town in Cory’s truck, bustling to their next destination or to weekly cribbage games with friends. Cory and David were also avid travelers — cross-country skiing in Montreal, backpacking in Spain and annual trips to Cape Cod. No matter where they went, they were always sure to send postcards to their friends to share the experience. Together they had such joy for life that everyone they met was affected.

For those who had the privilege of knowing David, they can attest to his exuberance for life. He attracted a vibrant group of friends from all corners, connecting everyone he touched. As a nurse, he cared deeply about his patients and the community he served. He had a magnetism like no other. Beyond work, he thrived on social connection, working to create a world around him that was kinder, more equitable, more loving. He had a sense of justice that would not allow him to look away from someone in need, using his voice, his heart and his time to uplift those around him. 



David is preceded in death by his mother, Janet Boggs, and his brother Michael Boggs.

He leaves behind his beloved husband, Cory Bragg; father, Earl Boggs, and stepmother, Diana Boggs; sister Nicki Burnham, her husband, Chris Burnham, and their daughter, Arya Marie; brother Daniel Boggs; sister Anna Boggs and partner Lindsay DiDio; brother Galen Yusufzai-Boggs and his wife, Carleigh Yusufzai-Boggs, and their daughter, Zara Rose; stepsister Geneva Steffinger and partner Michael Steffinger; and lastly, his fellow nurse and chosen sister, Tessa Lawrence; and the countless dear friends whose lives he touched. The magnitude of this loss will echo throughout David’s communities.

A celebration of David’s life will be held on October 10, 2026, in Burlington, Vt. Location and time will be announced shortly.

“Small Kindnesses” appears in Healing the Divide: Poems of Kindness and Connection, 2019. Reprinted with permission of Green Writers Press.

This article appears in September 9 • 2026.