David Carl Bethman

1943 - 2022

David (Dave) Carl Bethman

December 19, 1943 - March 28, 2022

David Carl Bethman was born on December 19, 1943. He passed away on Monday March 28, 2022 in Corvallis Oregon; he was 78. He passed away from lung cancer.

Dave was born to Henry Bethman and Ethelyn Rosenberger Bethman. He was born in Lewiston, Idaho. He grew up in Clarkston, Washington before moving to Walla Walla, Washington, then moving to Portland, Oregon. They finally settled in Corvallis, Oregon in 1956. He attended Franklin Elementary, Highland View, and Corvallis High. He graduated from Corvallis High in 1962. Some of his interests were FFA and marching band.

After graduating, he attended OIT in Klamath Falls, specializing in diesel engineering. He then enlisted in the Army from 1964 to 1970 where he was a staff sergeant in the mess hall at Fort Ord. He worked with his dad at B&H Hardware for 11 years (1964-1975). He was also a reserve deputy for the Benton County Sheriff's Office and volunteered at the Corvallis Fire Department. He started working at OSU in 1976, working in the dorms and student housing, until he retired in 2001. He was a member of the Grace Lutheran Church for many years.

Dave spent his early years in the summer working for his uncle Herman and aunt Marcella Hagenah's on ranches over the Oregon, Washington and Idaho areas. This was considered his second home, and he had a close bond with his cousins, Sonny, Mark, and Casey.

Dave met the love of his life, Marilyn Parke, on a blind date at the Beaver Hut, Corvallis in 1966; they got married on November 4, 1967 in Corvallis at West Hills Presbyterian Church. In 1972 they had Jennifer Bethman (Martin), and in 1975 had Michael Bethman. During that time he enjoyed fishing, hunting, and camping with his family. The family spent a lot of time at Crescent Lake during the summers. He also enjoyed working on rebuilding vehicles with his son Michael. He volunteered at Habitat for Humanity and Mary's Peak Search and Rescue.

After retirement, he spent a lot of time in his shop, rebuilding a 1946 GMC truck. He spent countless hours helping his neighbors. He was known as "Neighbor Dave" and "Mr. Fix It!", not only to the neighbors, but also to friends and relatives. There was nothing he couldn't fix. He took great pride in helping others whether they liked it or not. He had a huge heart, a great sense of humor, made many friends, and loved to tell stories, especially of his years working on the ranch. He had a lot of great one-liners and stories. He was a fan of the OSU Beavers and the Seattle Seahawks.

In 1998, he and his wife took a cruise to Alaska; then in 2004 they traveled to Egypt, and in 2007, they took a tour of the United States National Parks.

He is survived by his wife of 54 years Marliyn Bethman; his daughter Jennifer Bethman (Martin); son-in-law Jesse Martin; grandson Luke Bethman; granddaughter Lucy Bethman; Aunt Florence Hegwine and numerous cousins; brother-in-law Tom Parke and Tom's wife Judi Parke. He is preceded in death by father Henry Bethman, mother Ethelyn Bethman, son Michael Bethman, and various aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday April 22nd at McHenry Funeral Home. A casual reception will follow at The Barn in North Albany located at the Hickory Station, 640 NW Hickory Street, Albany, OR. Contributions can be made to Safehaven Humane society at 32220 Old Hwy 34, Tangent, OR.