David Moreno

David A. Moreno, husband of one, father of five, received his third death certificate on Monday, March 23rd 2026. His first death came during Vietnam. His second death-a death to self, and being born once more to the light of Jesus, occurred midlife.

Dad was declared dead on July 4th, 1969 at 0230 hours. After the Army notified his family, and they went through the grieving process, our dad, our grandfather, was found to be recovering in a Japanese hospital. He is a Vietnam War veteran and one of the most selfless human beings we know. He entered service to his country via the United States Army in 1968 and served with the 82nd Airborne. He received orders to Vietnam and went there with the Air Cav, a unit with its own choppers. He received two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star in Vietnam after being wounded by a rocket-propelled grenade. As kids, we used to feel the metal bits still embedded under his skin. Describing the day he was declared dead he said, "We went in pairs to trip claymore mines. I was the rifleman covering my buddy. I saw VC about 5 feet from us in the bushes. I told my partner I'll count to three and I'll shoot. At that point all hell broke loose. We were up against an NVA Battalion and didn't know it at the time."

Sgt. Moreno explained that his favorite time in recovery was when he got to boss around two former Denver Broncos players who were also in recovery! He also drove a general around Washington D.C., jumped out of airplanes, and was the practical joker of the company in Air Cav school. He bought and sold real estate, had money, then worked as a custodian when he didn't have money. He taught his kids humility in rags and riches, wealth and poverty. He gave generously to several pet and religious causes, humbly saying, "I don't need money, just my family, a roof over my head and a good meal."

He was about selfless service to his God, country and his family. He loved his brothers and sisters and had a particularly close relationship with Tio Tomas, Uncle Sonny, and Aunt Georgia. Through him, his five kids, Shannon Langley (Cowan), Justin, Brandon & Nathan Cowan, and Robin Netzel (Cowan), received a new Abuela, Tios y Tias, y primos y primas de Durango, Pagosa, Spain, and Mexico.

David is survived by his equally generous, and beautiful wife, Nancy Sue (Bailey) Moreno. She resides with her daughter, Shannon, and attends sporting events to watch her grandkids throughout southern Oklahoma and dedicated herself to caring for her husband in his last few months of life. Yet, her heart is in Pagosa Springs where she raised her children (her "gold bricks") to become entrepreneurs, writers, nurse, chaplain, trucker, educators, flight attendant, builder, mechanic, biologist, restaurant owners, theologian, and fathers and mothers who raised a new generation to beat the odds of this world through the grit and perseverance taught by David and Nancy. To them both, we are forever grateful and we will cherish good memories, let the not so good fade, and walk in the knowledge that our Dad is in the presence of Christ-where he wanted to be, and awaits his favorite preacher, John Hagee, for a heavenly coffee, bowl of papas and green chili, and a good sermon.