David R. Mentzer

David Roland Mentzer died in the company of his family on Thursday, March 6, looking out across Lake Champlain from his home in Colchester, Vermont.
Dave was born on May 24, 1942, in Portland, Oregon, and was the middle child of Mary Elizabeth "Betty" (Barnes) Mentzer and Ronald Daniel Mentzer. He is predeceased by his parents and oldest sister, Ann Bartram, and is survived by his wife of 56 years, Barbara Dane Mentzer (née Barbara Ellen Dane) of Colchester, VT; his three children Rebecca "Becky" Mentzer Riethmeier (Raymond Mentzer Riethmeier) of Minnetonka, MN, Molly Mentzer (Lee Kapp) of Chazy, NY, and David Mentzer (April Mentzer) of Ferrisburgh, VT; his six grandchildren Timothy, Owen, Henry, Stuart, Megan, and Thomas; and his younger sister Becky (Tom) Irvin.
Dave grew up in Perrysburg, Ohio, where he attended Perrysburg High School and first met his future wife. He received his bachelor's degree from Temple University and a master's in business administration from the University of Toledo. He went on to work as a production engineer, eventually growing to specialize in quality control engineering and management. He also worked for a time as a math teacher at a regional technical college in Ohio.
In his personal life, Dave was kind, compassionate, and intensely curious. He enjoyed being with his family and had a way of connecting with and inspiring those that he met and worked with. After his retirement, Dave devoted much of his time to volunteering with the elderly, tutoring children in math, and helping to raise his grandchildren. Relatives, friends, past co-workers, and fellow volunteers all recount his gentle and selfless nature with a focused intention of helping those around him. His curiosity was rooted in understanding how machines, systems, and natural processes worked, and it extended into trying to understand the beliefs and motivations of other people and cultures – both present day and in the past – which fueled his passion for travel and exploration. Dave was not religious, but he maintained a high ethical and moral standard focused on serving others for the benefit of everyone, and he believed that the world would be a better place if others simply did the same.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at McGillicuddy's on the Green in Colchester, VT, with a reception to follow at the same location until 8:00 p.m. The Mass intention at the 9:00 a.m. daily Mass on Friday, April 4, at Holy Cross Parish in Colchester is for the repose of Dave's soul, that he rest in peace. Dave's family does not need flowers, but if you would like to donate to a charity of your choice in his name, he would have appreciated that. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David, please visit our floral store.