Disability Performer David Roche, 79, of British Columbia Dies, Irish Wake Planned in Gibsons
The world lost one of its most quietly powerful voices this week. David Roche, the Roberts Creek comedian, performer, author, and disability rights advocate who spent decades transforming his own experience of living with a facial difference into a message of courage, inclusion, and joy, has died. He was 79 years old.
The announcement came through a post shared by his friend Aaron on behalf of David’s family. The outpouring of grief from those who knew him, worked alongside him, or were simply changed by a single conversation with him has been immediate and overwhelming.
More than 178 comments flooded the post within hours, with friends and colleagues from across North America describing a man who had a rare gift for making every person feel truly seen.
“The world has lost one of the great ones,” wrote one friend who said she would re-air her interview with Roche on her podcast in his honor. Another wrote that Roche was “so much more than a friend,” calling him a brother. A third described him as someone who “fully gave his attention and love in conversation on the street.”
A Career Built on Courage and Authenticity
David Roche was born with a condition that gave him a pronounced facial difference, something he never hid and never apologized for.
Instead, he turned it into the centerpiece of a remarkable career. His signature one-man theater show, “The Church of 80% Sincerity,” earned him standing ovations from the Clinton White House and the Kennedy Center to the Sydney Olympics Arts Festival and stages across New Zealand, Russia, England, and beyond.
He worked with Access to Comedy, a troupe of disabled comedians, and later served on the board of the Association for Theatre and Accessibility and as president of the KickstART Society for Disability Arts and Culture in Vancouver.
In December 2021, Governor General Mary Simon appointed him a member of the Order of Canada, recognizing his pioneering contributions to disability arts and his decades of work promoting acceptance and inclusion across Canada and the United States.
He was also a Governor General’s Award recipient and published author, most recently of “Standing at the Back Door of Happiness: And How I Unlocked It,” a book praised for its candid and moving examination of life, friendship, and meaning.
A Man Who Made Everyone Feel Seen
Those who knew him say his impact went far beyond any stage or award. Chelsey Peat, a fellow face equality advocate, wrote that Roche pushed her to publish her own book and called him a mentor and dear friend.
“He had a way of lifting people up with his words, his humour, and his unwavering belief in others,” she said.
Others described him as a guiding light on issues of face equality and visible difference, a man whose wisdom in advocacy felt well ahead of his time.
He is survived by his wife, Marlena Blavin, and his daughter Amy.
An Irish Wake is being held at Devlin Funeral Home at 579 Seaview Road in Gibsons, British Columbia, from June 1 to 4, Monday through Thursday, between 2 pm and 5 pm each day.
The casket will be open, and coffee, tea, and cookies will be served. All are welcome. A celebration of life, to be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person, will be announced at a later date.
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