David Iden

Iden, David John Sr.

David John Iden, Sr., 93, passed away peacefully at home on May 3, 2023. He was preceded in death by his parents George and Anne Iden, and brother Dennis Iden. David was a kind, humble, loving husband and father, who is survived by his wife of 69 years, Rosemary, and daughters: Debra S. (John) Ewing, of Ewing, KY and Julie A. (Michael) Early, of Dayton, OH, sons: David J. Iden, Jr. of Dayton, OH,Steven M. (Sharon) Iden, of Melbourne, FL, and Douglas J. Iden, of Dayton, OH, Grandchildren: Brandon J. Lare of Greenfield, IN, and Rachael N. Lare of Dayton, OH, and Steven J. (Sara) Iden, of Naples, FL, Great grandchildren: James, George, and Graham Iden, of Naples, FL and half-sister Phyllis (Iden) Corey, of Sanborn, NY. David was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 8th, 1930. He grew up learning the value of hard work, discipline, and academics. He also loved sports and attended many Cubs games as a boy. By 1950 he completed an associate degree in engineering at Chicago City Junior College. In 1951 David enlisted in the US Air Force and, in 1952, to was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned to Truax Field, in Madison, WI. At Truax, he flew as a Radar-Observer in several border-defense fighters: the F-89D Scorpion and the F-94A Starfire. In Madison, David met his beloved Rosemary. They were married in June of 1953. In 1954, David was assigned to O'Hare AFB, IL as an Assistant Base Engineer. In 1955 the USAF sent David to Taipei, Taiwan, where he oversaw the construction of new runways and air base facilities in support of General Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Chinese forces. In 1957, The Idens moved to northern California, where David served at McClellan AFB as a navigator on the Lockheed RC-121 radar surveillance plane. He flew on long patrols along the West Coast and logged over 2,000 flying hours on the RC-121. In 1961, David was granted a fellowship to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, where he became a member of the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, graduating with a bachelor's degree in aerodynamics engineering and a master's degree in materials engineering. In 1964, David was appointed Branch Chief of Manufacturing Technologies at the AF Materials Lab, Wright- Patterson AFB. Then, in 1965, he had the honor of being chosen for a two-year assignment as a research engineer at Lawrence Livermore Labs in California. His work at Livermore focused largely on space-related programs. In 1968 David and his family returned to Dayton, Ohio where he was appointed Magnetics Materials Branch Chief, AF Materials Lab, Wright-Patterson AFB. In 1971, after 20 years of honorable service, David retired from the USAF at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. From 1972 to 1992 David was privileged to work as a Materials Research Engineer for the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI). His work at UDRI included experimental aircraft laser windows, energy efficient design of office buildings and homes and advanced rare-earth magnetic materials development. Rare earth magnets have enabled many of today's innovations, including the small, powerful, electronics used in many modern-day devices, including the cell phone. After his retirement from UDRI in 1993, David and Rosemary enjoyed an extended European vacation. They visited Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Austria and Switzerland. After this, they enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren, taking trips to Disneyworld and SeaWorld. David was a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals, Ohio State Buckeyes football and his hometown Chicago Cubs. David's favorite Bible verses were the 23rd Psalm and the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Sulphur Grove United Methodist Church, Huber Heights, OH. Burial Services will be private on Friday, June 2nd. The family wishes to thank all the wonderful medical professionals who cared for Mr. Iden, including Dr. Erik Weise, Urologist for Dayton Physicians Network, the Stone Spring Skilled Nursing Facility of Vandalia, OH, and Ohio Hospice of Dayton. In Mr. Iden's honor, contributions may be made to Ohio Hospice of Dayton. To send the family a special message, please visit www.NewcomerDayton.com.