Obituary: Dashel Zane Blake

Dashel Zane Blake (Nov. 30, 1999-Oct. 18, 2021) of Malibu died unexpectedly while attending the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Dashel was a lifetime resident of Malibu. He attended Malibu Jewish Center and Children’s Creative Workshop pre-schools, Malibu Middle School and Malibu High School, graduating in the class of 2017. He was a junior at University of Arizona majoring in political science.

At the age of five, Dashel began training at Joey Escobar Karate where he was the youngest student, at age 17, to earn a fourth degree black belt. Dash was also an instructor at the studio for four years.

While at Malibu Middle School, Dash fell in love with music. He became a member of Bill Bixler’s MHS band, playing many percussion instruments over the years. 

Dash was also a proud member of the Malibu Middle/High Drumline under the direction of Eddie Marz. He absolutely loved drumline and never missed a practice or a game. 

Drumline and band fueled his growing passion for music. He loved all genres, from classical and jazz to classic rock and especially country. Mumford and Sons and Chris Stapleton were among his favorites. 

In recent years he also developed a love of cooking and especially enjoyed smoking and barbecuing various meats for his friends and family and discovered that he had a true gift for it. 

He also enjoyed many outdoor sports including archery and fishing with his friends at Lake Sherwood. 

He had a very clever sense of humor and dry wit. He loved watching movies and stand-up comedy. He was particularly adept at remembering funny lines and incorporating them into a conversation, always getting a laugh of his own. 

Dash is survived by his parents, Guy and Jana Blake; his brother, Connor; his grandparents, Bruce and Gale Hinton; grandfather, Alan Tarsky; his longtime girlfriend, Cassandra Garza; and his beloved Australian shepherd, River. 

A celebration of Dashel’s life will be held on Dec. 5 in Malibu. All are welcome. If you would like to attend, please inquire at HonoringDashel@gmail.com.

In memory of Dash, a fundraiser has been set up through Save the Music.