David Maas of David & Dania Passes Away

[CraigMitchell]

David Maas of David & Dania fame has passed away.

Dania writes:

"It’s with a heavy heart that I share the passing of my husband, partner, and best friend, David Maas
. Only 5 minutes after our arrival to the hospital, his heart began to slow and he peacefully and painlessly departed this earth.
It’s as if David waited for our arrival to say our final goodbyes. We were able to be together as a family one last time.
Thank you to everyone for all of your support and love. Heaven received a very talented soul today, and we will greatly miss him.
Rest In Peace, David. I will always love you."

...

Thank you so much for all of the love and support you are sending for David Maas
. As many of you know he is currently in the ICU and on a ventilator. At this time he is stable and the Doctors and Nurses have been doing all they can to keep him comfortable.
This year has been very hard of David. He has been away from his passion of performance since February. David was then admitted into the hospital on November 15th and tested positive for COVID-19. He has been very strong and doing his best to battle this horrible illness.
Sadly, he is not allowed visitors in the hospital due to safety and prevention of spreading COVID-19. Please continue to send your love, support, and good energy to my loving husband, David.
David, we love you, stay strong, and I can’t wait to be with you soon."

[erdnasephile]

So sad--he was only 57. RIP, Mr. Maas.

[Chris Randal2]

This one is going to hurt for a while. Around 2014 Jack Goldfinger called me and offered me a week at the Magic Castle working with Bruce Gold and David and Dania. I had seen them on television many times and heard about them around the industry. The first night I worked with him I was very nervous and didn’t say much to him. The next night he watched my act and invited me to go to the bar with him and that began a long friendship. Every year the magic castle would have me Bruce David and Dania do our show. We became a little family having wonderful dinners and talks. On my lecture tour I got to stay at their house and see Chicago through David’s eyes. David was the most generous man I’ve ever met. He loved taking us to dinner and he loved doing his act and all the success that it had. Most of all he loved Dania he was a very dedicated husband and one of the sweetest man I’ve ever met. He always cheered my successes and was there for me for my losses. He was my magic dad and I will miss him greatly. We had some great times together at the castle in Chicago and even shooting TV shows together. He never would go to Vegas without making sure to spend time with me I always felt special around those two especially David. I will miss my friend and this last 24 hours has been very hard on me thank you to all who have contacted me to check on me and see how I’m doing. This will be a hard loss for me but I am grateful for the time I got to spend with him all the long talks about life in entertainment and life in general. Rest In Peace my friend and thanks for the good times love you brother.

[Ted M]

ESPN noted his passing with this article:

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/303 ... david-maas

[hugmagic]

This came as quite shock when my wife told me about it through a facebook post. I have known David and Dania for over 25 years. I have supplied their flowers every since they first framed up the act. They were very specific in the colors used so they complimented the costumes. They used them hard and really beat them up. Once, he showed up at Abbott's with a crushed botania cone which I had to fix backstage before the show. But he always told me that he could not believe the reaction the 50 bloom botania would get when produced in the middle of an arena. He told me that would be the last piece of magic to come out of the act.

I have seen them in circuses, NBA games, corporate events and eventually magic conventions. When they first slated to appear the SAM national in Cincinnati many years ago, David was concerned about working for magicians. I told him not to worry,he would knock them on their butts and they did. After that they worked more magic conventions while continuing to build up their NBA NHL and corporate work. Their 8 minute act was honed to perfection. Later, Phillip Morris helped them copyright and trademark their act as Quick Change. AGT, Oprah, foreign television and performances all over the world made their act the ultimate flying act. The entire act packed down into two rolling trade show display cases. Having worked backstage with them many times, I saw first hand how the act evolved and was worked. It was a well oiled machine before the act, during the act, packing the act and getting to the next gig.

David was an interesting character but 100% professional. We had our little disagreements but we both respected each other. We both that we both knew what we each could do and utilized that together.

He once told me that he figured they had about 10 years to make it. He was right. After that, the imitators sprung up all over the place but none came close to the class and style of David and Dania. Even the couple of acts they had trained did not come close to their style.

Now as we see so many quick changes in almost every magic act, it is hard to remember just how much of an impact they have had on magic. I do..I was there every step of the way. I can't help but think how it was like a old time vaudeville act; finely honed, polished and the highest impact of 8 minutes on stage that I have ever seen.

Rest in peace David. Kath and my prayers are with Dania and your family.