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David Muir Gullikson
Loveland, CO - David Muir Gullikson died on December 26, 2019, at home with his family by his side in Loveland, Colorado. He was 90.
David was born on January 6, 1929, in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He spent his early years on the family farm in Wheatfield Township with his parents, Vera and Ted, along with his older brother, Don, and younger brother, Ted. In 1937, the family moved to nearby Inkster where his father became a farm equipment dealer.
He studied for two years at the University of North Dakota before being drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950 to serve during the Korean War. After mustering out, he returned to the University of North Dakota, graduating with a B.A. in mathematics in 1955 and a B.S. in petroleum engineering in 1956.
David worked as a petroleum engineer in California, Venezuela, Wyoming, Louisiana, and Colorado before building and operating Ted's True Value hardware store in Lyons with his brother, Ted.
He met Mary Thorson, a dietitian, while living in the San Francisco Bay Area. They soon married on October 21, 1961 at Christ Episcopal Church in Mary's hometown of Newcastle, Wyoming. Four children were born to the couple, one in each state where they lived in the years that followed. They settled in Loveland in 1972.
David's life was animated by a love of learning. His knowledge was wide ranging and his memory prodigious. To David, history, science, and literature are lived daily--from the wisdom of the ancient Greeks, to the hardiness of his pioneer forebears, and the latest developments in space exploration.
He enjoyed designing and building: a rowboat for his nephew, mechanical toys for his grandchildren, rooms full of furniture, mountain roads, and a log cabin. He could repair a sixty-year-old bulldozer, design a garden, lay stonemasonry, carve wood, assemble a computer from a kit, make a child's suit of armor out of the Sunday paper, and fix just about anything.
David's great joy and love was his family. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Mary Thorson Gullikson, his brother Ted L. Gullikson, and his four children Anne Murguia (Ted), Emily Hedrick (Charles), Gloria Edwards (William), and Donald Gullikson (Erica). He is also survived by his eight grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his brother Donald Neal Gullikson and parents Vera and Ted C. Gullikson.
A fine writer, David dedicated his memoir to his children with these words: "Your thread of life has a continuity and it is webbed into the past with kindred souls."
A memorial service will be held on January 2, 2020 at 2 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal Church in Loveland.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Loveland Rotary Foundation to support allied health and vocational scholarships in care of Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home, 1102 N. Lincoln Avenue, Loveland, CO 80537.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Sponsored by thedesertsun.com.
3 Entries
Mary, my condolences on the loss of your husband. May your warm memories sustain you through this difficult time
Lori Hvizda Ward
January 1, 2020
Our thoughts and prayers of support are with the Gullikson family at this difficult time. Such a profound blessing he was to each of you. May you find comfort in the shared memories of his love for you.
Mike and Amy Elliott
December 31, 2019
David Hedrick
December 31, 2019
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Funeral services provided by:
Kibbey-Fishburn Funeral Home & Crematory1102 N. Lincoln Ave., Loveland, CO 80537
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