David D Vanderhoofven

"Merciless and with a smile, the days go by in single file. I can not slow their awesome tread."
- David D Vanderhoofven

"Buddy" passed on from this life and on into glory land on Friday, July 8, 2023 at Horizons Care Center in
Eckert, Delta County, Colorado.

He was 86 years old.

He was a man of great faith, with the gift of hope, filled with joy because he placed his trust in the Great
Almighty, our maker, provider, redeemer, the ever present comforter.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at Taylor Funeral Service,
followed by a graveside service at Delta Cemetery. An honor guard will accompany the graveside service
to honor David's military service. Incidentally, this is the same cemetery where David played Taps on a
ceremonial bugle when the Veterans Memorial at Delta Cemetery was originally unveiled.

Buddy was born June 27, 1937 to Nora Thelma Singleton and David Alvin Vanderhoofven in Delta,
Colorado, in a house that still stands just a little ways north of the Gunnison river. He was born near the
Ute Council Tree, the head of the great table where above rises the Grand Mesa.

He grew up in Delta where he drove to high school in a Model A Ford pickup without a bed. He drove to
the armory where he studied Physics, something he excelled at. He worked on main street at the
pharmacy mixing soda pops behind the counter. Everybody knows David was called Buddy, but to me he
was dad.

Dad went on to work for the US Forest Service, where he helped with conservation efforts, stopping a
biological invasion of beetles on "Lone Cone", where he got his popeye arms carrying 2 at a time 5 gallon
buckets up hill at the pointy edge where the beetles were repelled back. He also surveyed the forest
service road up the western slope of Cottonwood Pass in Gunnison County.

Dad served our country in the United States Navy. He took great pride in being a "tin can sailor", which
is what you were called if you served aboard a US Navy Destroyer. Rated as a fire controlman, it was his
finger on the big red button that read "fire." He no doubt calibrated the guns to immeasurable effects,
as his guns were attached onboard the USS Maddox when he sailed aboard into the furthest reaches of
the Western Pacific. His ship not long after that, inadvertently, no doubt, went on to start the Vietnam
War.
After the Navy, Dad returned to Colorado where he met Marilynn Frederick. Marilynn was studying
music at Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado when they met. They married on December 24,
1962 at Delta Christian Church. They lived in Gunnison before settling in Arvada, Colorado.  

Dad went to the University of Colorado in Boulder where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Civil
Engineering.

Dad was a civil engineer, mom was the school teacher - together they raised four sons. Dad was the city
engineer of the City of Arvada where he built many projects that continue to endure, most notably the
Ralston Creek Park, a walk through for miles along the creek where a glacier once receded. Dad later
worked for a development group that took him to Dallas for work. Wherever dad went throughout many
suburbs in the greater Denver Metropolitan area, there was always a project that he had left his
signature on. His work also included engineering the Colorado river valley near Beaver Creek, Colorado.

In Topeka, Kansas, dad trained for the ministry and served many years with the christian churches in
Denver as an elder.

After a legendary career building projects (for others), dad took up heavy timber frame construction. He
designed and constructed a cabin as a hobby.

Dad will always be remembered as a poet at heart, ready with a quip, always singing, whistling, and
yodeling while he worked out projects.

David is survived by his spouse, Marilynn who still lives in Delta in the very house David grew up in; his
younger sister, Beulah "Boots" Buchanan of Jacksonville, North Carolina; his sons, David Allan of
Duenweg, Missouri married to Linda; Nathan of Aurora, Colorado married to Salud; Philip of Delta,
Colorado with Lanae and two young children, Phlegon and Mabel; John of Belton, Missouri married to
Abigaile; other grandchildren include David's Meghan and Brian with Kathleen, and Philip's Erick and
Johnathan with Angie. Erick has two daughters with Crimson, their names are Eva Rose and Marion Lily
of Alaska.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his name to Peace On Earth Ministries (POEM) of Joplin,
MO.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Taylor Funeral Service.

An open house will be held at 208 Leon Street in Delta, on July 28, from 2 to 6 PM.

View the internet obituary and sign the online guest registry at:

www.taylorfuneralservice.com