DAVE FRIANT JUST CAN’T STOP WRITING

by Shanon Weaver

Dave Friant has worn a lot of hats—social worker, prison guard, federal investigator—but if you ask him what he really is?

“I just really enjoy writing.”

Dave grew up in Millville, New Jersey—a small town wedged between Philadelphia and the Atlantic shore. He studied sociology at Stockton State University, and eventually earned a master’s degree in public administration. But writing was always in the background.

“I should have gotten the degree in journalism,” he says now. “If I were to do it again, I would go with journalism.”

Even during his years with the federal Office of Personnel Management—conducting background checks for security clearances—his love for words came through.

“My supervisor would always say, ‘Friant, you're adding too much to this interview,’” he recalls with a laugh. “But I just enjoyed it. I would put a little spin on the interviews. So, they were always too long.”

His early career began in social work, handling child abuse cases and divorce custody reports in Florida.

“That got very old,” he says. “You just can’t go on for any length of time doing that.”

On the advice of his in-laws—both federal employees—he made the jump to government work. His first post was as a prison guard in Seagoville, Texas.

“I was there 11 months and 29 days. I know the exact count because I hated every day,” he says. “But it was the proverbial foot in the door.”

From there, he moved to Amarillo to conduct federal background investigations, including those required for workers at Pantex, the country’s nuclear weapons assembly facility. He later transferred to Fort Worth for a similar role at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and then wrapped up his federal career with internal investigations at the FAA—looking into on-the-job misconduct by air traffic controllers.

He retired on January 1, 2011. But he never stopped writing.

“I’ve been writing for Celebration Magazine for eight or nine years,” he says. “I interview people from time to time that have interesting stories. And then I'll just occasionally write an article—just take a slice of life and consider what secret sauces are involved with people, and getting through life and relationships.”

That idea of “secret sauce” comes up a lot in Dave’s stories. For him, it’s not just about the career bullet points or list of hobbies. It’s about connection. He tries to end each piece on that note.

He’s chased down some remarkable interviews over the years—radio personality Norm Hitzges, Texas Country Reporter Bob Phillips, and even Don Graves, a 101-year-old WWII veteran who served at Iwo Jima.

“People were saying, ‘Well, good luck with that,’ and I said, ‘You never know until you approach them and have them say ‘no’ to your face,’” he says.

He’s got his eye on a few more—Lee Trevino and Shawn Bradley, to name two. “Might not happen,” he shrugs. “But I’m gonna give it a try.”

These days, Dave lives in North Texas with his wife of over 50 years—and trust me when I say the story of how they got together could be an entire separate column. They bowl in senior leagues twice a week and he volunteers regularly at the hospital. He also mentors a local second grader, one of many students over the years who’ve benefited from Dave stepping in as a consistent adult figure.

“It’s good to do that,” he says. “Most of them are kids the principal has identified as having no father figure in the home… even an hour a week can provide some good fatherly advice.”

As for what’s next, he’s not slowing down. “At 75, I still think the dial's got a little bit more room to be turned,” he says. “Who knows what the future holds—but it'll involve writing, I can guarantee that.”

As a senior himself, Dave’s advice is just to do anything that keeps you engaged with others. It’s not just how he fills his time. It’s how he makes sense of it.

And that is Dave’s secret sauce.