David Lee Borgendale
1947 - 2026
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Peacefully and surrounded by his family, David Borgendale passed away on Monday, March 23, 2026, at the age of 78 in Nuremberg, Germany.
He will be lovingly remembered by his children and stepchildren: Tove (Paul) Borgendale, Laura (Ross) Gabriel, and Ariel (Dylan) Borgendale; grandchildren: Aubryn Hauge, Levi Potchinsky, and Annie Rose Landendale; his sister Carol (Dan) Lundberg; sister-in-law Diane Borgendale; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
He also leaves behind special friends Nicole Louki and Martina Borgendale, and will be dearly missed by his many friends in the InterNations Nuremberg community.
He was predeceased by his parents, Leo and Brunhild (Olson) Borgendale, and his brother, Jonathon Borgendale.
David was born on August 1, 1947. He attended primary school in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated from Montevideo High School in 1965—what he fondly called “a year of great music.” He graduated from St. Olaf College and earned his MBA from the University of Minnesota.
David was a beloved father whose curiosity, intellect, and perspective shaped the lives of his daughters in lasting ways. He instilled in them a deep commitment to fairness and critical thinking. A strong believer in civil rights and equality, he taught by example that women should have the same opportunities and pay as men, encouraging independence and challenging limiting stereotypes. His daughters could rely on him for thoughtful, honest conversations about the world ranging from economics and fairness to debates about the best rom-coms.
David approached life with zest, engagement, and a drive to understand the world. He found great joy in solving problems and thinking in systems. He loved work that challenged him and kept him learning. Over the course of his career, he held roles ranging from CPA to CIO, worked in corporate development for music and video distributors, and later moved into consulting and software development. His career culminated in serving as CTO and CFO for Inntopia, a company providing software for the destination travel industry, where he took particular pride in collaborating to build the lodging and ticketing systems used by ski resorts across the United States and Canada.
He was deeply committed to his community and to justice, using his professional skills to make a meaningful impact through public service. In the early 1990s, he chaired the Chittenden Solid Waste Commission, helping to steward a new charter and establish a location for a new landfill. In the 2000s, he chaired the Montpelier Planning Commission for more than a decade and served as Montpelier’s representative and chair of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Authority. He also served for many years as a board member and treasurer of the ACLU Foundation of Vermont, which, out of all his volunteer work, was the most meaningful to him. He believed strongly in the mission and saw his role in the organization as helping others stay true to the ACLU’s core purpose—equality for all. David also demonstrated a lifelong commitment to political engagement and volunteering for causes important to him.
Outside of work, he found joy in music of all kinds, nature, travel, reading, cooking, skiing, gardening, and computers. His favorite places included the Boundary Waters and the mountains of Vermont. In his later years, he made his home in Nuremberg, Germany, where he built a vibrant community of friends and enjoyed life—always staying “young at heart.” Those who knew him could count on a home-cooked gourmet meal, a great glass of wine, an enthusiastic review of whatever had captured his interest at the time (whether that was a food, a “really nice” pair of pants, or a trip he’d just taken), and a spirited debate about politics or philosophy.
Above all, David was guided by a love of learning. Courageous and resilient, he lived life fully—unafraid to fail and begin again. He was an inspiration, a wonderful storyteller, and will be deeply missed and forever held close in our hearts.
Those who knew him are warmly invited to share their memories with the family.
A Celebration of Life will be held on June 27, in his most recent home, Nuremberg, Germany. A Celebration of Life in Minnesota will follow later in the year.
Memorial donations may be made in his name to the ACLU, Vermont Public Radio, or Minnesota Public Radio.
The family extends a special thank you to the staff of the Klinikum Nord Palliative Care Unit for their care and compassion.
He will be lovingly remembered by his children and stepchildren: Tove (Paul) Borgendale, Laura (Ross) Gabriel, and Ariel (Dylan) Borgendale; grandchildren: Aubryn Hauge, Levi Potchinsky, and Annie Rose Landendale; his sister Carol (Dan) Lundberg; sister-in-law Diane Borgendale; as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.
He also leaves behind special friends Nicole Louki and Martina Borgendale, and will be dearly missed by his many friends in the InterNations Nuremberg community.
He was predeceased by his parents, Leo and Brunhild (Olson) Borgendale, and his brother, Jonathon Borgendale.
David was born on August 1, 1947. He attended primary school in a one-room schoolhouse and graduated from Montevideo High School in 1965—what he fondly called “a year of great music.” He graduated from St. Olaf College and earned his MBA from the University of Minnesota.
David was a beloved father whose curiosity, intellect, and perspective shaped the lives of his daughters in lasting ways. He instilled in them a deep commitment to fairness and critical thinking. A strong believer in civil rights and equality, he taught by example that women should have the same opportunities and pay as men, encouraging independence and challenging limiting stereotypes. His daughters could rely on him for thoughtful, honest conversations about the world ranging from economics and fairness to debates about the best rom-coms.
David approached life with zest, engagement, and a drive to understand the world. He found great joy in solving problems and thinking in systems. He loved work that challenged him and kept him learning. Over the course of his career, he held roles ranging from CPA to CIO, worked in corporate development for music and video distributors, and later moved into consulting and software development. His career culminated in serving as CTO and CFO for Inntopia, a company providing software for the destination travel industry, where he took particular pride in collaborating to build the lodging and ticketing systems used by ski resorts across the United States and Canada.
He was deeply committed to his community and to justice, using his professional skills to make a meaningful impact through public service. In the early 1990s, he chaired the Chittenden Solid Waste Commission, helping to steward a new charter and establish a location for a new landfill. In the 2000s, he chaired the Montpelier Planning Commission for more than a decade and served as Montpelier’s representative and chair of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Authority. He also served for many years as a board member and treasurer of the ACLU Foundation of Vermont, which, out of all his volunteer work, was the most meaningful to him. He believed strongly in the mission and saw his role in the organization as helping others stay true to the ACLU’s core purpose—equality for all. David also demonstrated a lifelong commitment to political engagement and volunteering for causes important to him.
Outside of work, he found joy in music of all kinds, nature, travel, reading, cooking, skiing, gardening, and computers. His favorite places included the Boundary Waters and the mountains of Vermont. In his later years, he made his home in Nuremberg, Germany, where he built a vibrant community of friends and enjoyed life—always staying “young at heart.” Those who knew him could count on a home-cooked gourmet meal, a great glass of wine, an enthusiastic review of whatever had captured his interest at the time (whether that was a food, a “really nice” pair of pants, or a trip he’d just taken), and a spirited debate about politics or philosophy.
Above all, David was guided by a love of learning. Courageous and resilient, he lived life fully—unafraid to fail and begin again. He was an inspiration, a wonderful storyteller, and will be deeply missed and forever held close in our hearts.
Those who knew him are warmly invited to share their memories with the family.
A Celebration of Life will be held on June 27, in his most recent home, Nuremberg, Germany. A Celebration of Life in Minnesota will follow later in the year.
Memorial donations may be made in his name to the ACLU, Vermont Public Radio, or Minnesota Public Radio.
The family extends a special thank you to the staff of the Klinikum Nord Palliative Care Unit for their care and compassion.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of David Lee Borgendale, please visit our flower store.
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