The following biography was written by David's daughter Susan the year before his death:

Having met 18 months prior at a dance in Symonds Street, Auckland, David Guthrie (age 24) and Ingrid Hedstrom (age 20), married at Sommerville Church, Remuera Road, Auckland on 22 February 1965. Ingrid and David happily went on a working holiday to London, England in 1966. They mixed travelling in Europe and work—Ingrid was working as a Karitane nurse at the Iraqi Embassy and David was working with I.C.L.

Just as the working holiday came to an end (David was transferred by I.C.L. London to I.C.L. Wellington, New Zealand), Susan was conceived in May 1968. As if Ingrid's morning sickness wasn't enough, David began to have severe headaches. As planned, Ingrid returned to New Zealand first (via Fiji to visit her parents and three/four months pregnant), David following a few weeks later meeting up in Wellington.

After buying a house at 64 Bedford Street, Wellington, David's blinding headaches continued until an unbearable evening, only six weeks before Susan was due to be born. Ingrid took him to his doctor (who had been diagnosing migraine) to find a stand-in doctor. He gave David a thorough examination, detected the seriousness of the situation, and admitted David to hospital immediately.

Back in 1968, although research would have been well under way, there was no sophisticated methods for brain surgery (e.g., laser). Brain scans discovered a brain tumour in a very delicate part of the brain, making surgery very risky. However the operation had to be done as quickly as possible, and the best brain surgeon at the time, preformed a craniotomy (all this was in Wellington). This is when the skull is opened in half, exposing the brain, enabling surgeons to remove the tumour. His changes of survival were 50/50. Most of the brain tumour was removed. The operation included placing a “shunt” near a remaining part of the tumour that was too close to an important nerve. Radiotherapy was undertaken. The shunt was to always remain as it was, and did not pose any threat.

A second operation was performed in 1971 in Auckland, after the birth of Steven. This was in Auckland, and was to diagnose a second tumour in his brain.
Again, it was benign and removed. A series of black and white photos in a garden (Steven on David's shoulders) were taken – just in case of fatality during the second operation.

The operations were a success, credit to David's will to live and to the doctors. A normal life was lead by David and he continued to work, for many years as a computer analyst with Air New Zealand. This was particularly fulfilling, giving his family a chance to travel all over the world.

About 1985, fifteen years later, David's brain started giving him cause for concern. Over the next 15 years (particularly 1995 to date) a number of seizures and strokes have set David back and he is currently being well looked after in a Geriatric Hospital in Auckland. The general consensus is that the brain tumour is growing, putting pressure on the brain. Although benign, a tumour can turn cancerous at any time. Investigation into the diagnosis is not recommended due to the mental and physical state of David.

A footnote – the cause of the brain tumour is unknown and could have just been natural. However when David was in University completing a degree in Chemistry in the early-mid 1960's it has been confirmed that there was a bad batch of polio vaccines given worldwide. These vaccines have caused many illnesses, including tumours.
At present, there are no facilities, in Auckland at least, for young brain trauma sufferers, however there is a Brian Injury Association – a great place of comfort for many of those in such situations. David was a member until recently.

This year David will be 60 years old and lives a comfortable life, very much on borrowed time!

-- Quoted by Don Hutton in Andrew Family Genealogy.