David Huffman

Huffman was born on May 10, 1945 in Berwyn, Illinois, to Clarence and Opal Huffman (née Dippel).

Huffman married casting director Phyllis Huffman (nee Grennan) in 1967.[1] They met as students whilst studying at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri. The couple had two sons and remained married until Huffman's death in 1985.

An interview in The New York Times dated July 28, 1978, reported that Huffman would spend his mornings taking care of his 2‐year‐old son Matt, and devoted most afternoons to his 25‐foot sloop, the Frisco Flyer. “I'm heavily into sailing,” he confides.

When he's not working; he adds, his energies express themselves in other outlets. “I have a strong creative impulse, and if I don't act it'll come out in some other area.” A recreational painter, Mr. Huffman does oils and watercolors, plays country‐and‐western guitar, writes music and occasional “terrible poetry.” [2] [3]

On the morning February 27, 1985, Huffman was fatally stabbed by a suspected burglar in San Diego. The suspected burglar, a 16-year-old named Genaro Samano Villanueva, had been living in San Diego with family members for approximately five months. He had dropped out of high school but re-enrolled and was due to return to school on February 27. Earlier that morning, Villanueva was taken into custody by police after attempting to steal a radio from a car near his home on India Street. Police released Villanueva into the custody of the vice principal of his high school and told him to return to class. Instead, Villanueva left school and went to Balboa Park where he was spotted by Canadian tourist Jack Beamer. Beamer, his wife and another couple were visiting San Diego and staying in motor homes at the park. Beamer saw Villanueva prowling around inside his friends' motor home and yelled at him causing Villanueva to flee the scene.[4]

At the time of his death, David Huffman was appearing in the play Of Mice and Men at the Old Globe Theatre. He had visited the theatre shortly before noon to share cookies with the cast and crew.[2] Huffman was sitting in his van near the theatre playing his bagpipes when he saw Beamer yell at Villanueva. He then gave chase in his vehicle before parking the van near the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and following Villanueva into the park. Huffman eventually caught up with the suspect and the two got into a physical altercation during which Villanueva stabbed Huffman twice in the chest with a screwdriver. Huffman died of exsanguination in 30 to 45 seconds.[4] Huffman's body was found at 1:09pm, less than an hour later in a crevice in Palm Canyon by a group of children visiting the park on a field trip. As he was not carrying identification at the time of his death, Huffman's body was not positively identified until later that night.[2] Police initially had no leads and on March 2 and 3, Crime Stoppers produced a reenactment of the crime. It was shown on San Diego television and published in several national newspapers. The Canadian tourists whose motor home was being burglarized saw Huffman's photo and death announcement in the newspaper and called police.[4] He was buried on Tuesday March 5, 1985 at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).

Villanueva was arrested on March 12 after a police officer recognized Villanueva from a composite sketch given to police by the Canadian tourist.[5][6] On June 24, 1986, Villanueva was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison for Huffman's murder. He was admitted to the California State Prison in Centinela [7] Huffman was set to begin work on the television miniseries North and South the following week.[6] On December 9, 2011, Genaro Villanueva was denied parole for 15 years.[8]

• Butterflies Are Free as Don Baker (October 21, 1969 – July 2, 1972)

• David Huffman at the Internet Broadway Database
• David Huffman at IMDb
• David Huffman at AllMovie
• David Huffman(Aveleyman)
• Huffman and Gloria Swanson in 1972 play version Butterflies Are Free:
  • Picture 1(archived)
  • Picture 2(archived)
  • Picture 3(archived)