DAVID BLACKMAN

DAVID BLACKMAN
David K. Blackman passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Fe, with his wife Portia by his side, on November 12, 2024, at the age of 76. Thus ended his intrepid 15-year journey with prostate cancer.
Dave was born October 26, 1948, in Knoxville, Iowa, the middle child of Chester and Mary Elizabeth (Bette) Blackman. He grew up in Knoxville, surrounded by multiple generations of a loving extended family. All his life, Dave kept in close touch with his extended family and with the good friends he made growing up in Knoxville.
Dave attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in History in 1971. His college experience was transformative for Dave, and the strong friendships he forged there have lasted to this day. After college Dave returned to Knoxville, worked at the VA Hospital, and pondered what to do with his life. In the fall of 1973, he moved to Iowa City for graduate school, and there he met his future wife, Portia Ball. They married in 1975 and moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa (Portia's hometown). They had two sons, Joel (born 1978) and Jeff (born 1982). Dave worked at the First National Bank of Council Bluffs, gaining experience in property management, bank operations, consumer lending, and branch management.
In 1982, the family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Dave fell in love immediately with Santa Fe and its surroundings. He accepted the position of Cashier at The Bank of Santa Fe and later moved into commercial lending. He went on to have a 20-year career as a loan officer in the Santa Fe banking community.
In 2002, Dave was recruited by a close friend to become Chief Operations Officer for Davos Capital, LLC, where he worked from 2002-2007 and 2010-2022. At Davos, he applied his banking knowledge to manage real estate investments and other lending activities. This was a dream job for Dave, with a flexible work schedule that allowed him to join his friends on many exciting outdoor adventures: whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon (twice), navigating the coastline of southeast Alaska on a private yacht, hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains and southeast Utah (Cedar Mesa was a favorite), and traveling all over the Pacific Northwest.
Dave's sons graduated from St. Michael's High School, which led him to become involved at St. Mike's as a member of the SMHS Board of Trustees. As a board member, he took on major responsibility for San Miguel Chapel (the oldest church, owned by SMHS) - its preservation and its year-round availability to visitors from around the world. Working in cooperation with Cornerstones Community Partnerships, he played a lead role in getting the Chapel's structural problems and water damage resolved and restoring it to the original adobe. Dave was passionate about the preservation of San Miguel and its historical significance to the community. He proudly and devotedly served as the Director of San Miguel for several years until he retired in 2021.
Dave was a natural-born "connector", bringing people together from different parts of his life to create new connections and friendships. He had a wide circle of friends who loved him for his positive attitude, his enthusiasm, his sense of humor, his adventurous spirit, his joy in living, and his appreciation for every one of them. He was often heard to say, "Let us be thankful again today." In the last few years, one of his favorite afternoon pastimes was meeting friends for a beer at a local brewery. He loved showing visitors around his beloved Santa Fe. He especially enjoyed giving them personal tours of San Miguel Chapel and sharing his prolific knowledge of its history and significance. He was a hiking enthusiast and was an early-morning regular on the Atalaya Trail and the Dale Ball Trails for years. Dave loved living in Santa Fe and often said how lucky he felt to live in such a beautiful place with the best weather and the bluest skies anywhere.
Dave is survived by his devoted wife of 50 years, Portia; his sons Joel (Lana) and Jeff (Ashley), his grandsons Wesley (18), Bennett (12) and James (9), his brother John, sister Jan, Aunt Peggy, numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins, and a bunch of wonderful in-laws.
To our beloved husband, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, cousin, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and friend: We will miss you more than words can express, and you will live in our hearts forever.
A memorial celebration will be announced and held in Santa Fe in the Spring of 2025. Donations in Dave's memory may be made to San Miguel Chapel at www.sanmiguelchapelsantafe.org, or to a worthy cause of your choice.