David C Needham

David C Needham
Date Of Birth: 06/15/1929
Date of Death: 02/26/2024
David Curtiss Needham of Portland, Oregon was greeted by his Heavenly Father at the age of
on February 26, 2024. God met him at the entrance of Heaven proclaiming, " well done,
my good and faithful servant" Matthew 25:23.
David was born June 15, 1929, in Covina, California to Benjamin Eugene Needham and his wife, Hildagarde Pauline Curtiss. He grew up on his grandparents' citrus farm in Glendora, California and later moved to Vista, California when his father bought his own ranch. There he graduated from Vista Unified High School in 1947 before attending Westmont College in Santa
Barbara, California, where he met Mary Joan Reid. They were married on July 16, 1954, while
David was attending Dallas Theological Seminary in hopes of becoming a pastor. His ambitions
were realized in 1955 when he was offered a position as the Director of Youth and Christian
Education at Vista Community Church in Vista, California. Four years later, he became the
pastor of the small Calvary Evangelical Free Church of Laguna Beach, in Laguna Beach,
California. In 1963, he was invited to join the faculty of Multnomah School of the Bible (now
Multnomah University) in Portland, Oregon, where he taught theology for forty-four years.
During this time, he also taught the Mariners, an adult Sunday school class at Hinson Memorial
Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon and turned his passion for theology into four books:
Birthright (1979), Close to His Majesty (1987), Alive for the First Time (1995), and How Does it
Look From the Top of the Wall? (2013). He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2008.
David and Mary Jo designed and built their dream home on Rocky Butte in Portland in 1965,
where they raised their son Greg and daughter Barbara. In1976, they bought 15 acres of
property near Appleton, Washington and began building their vacation home, a chateau-style
cabin with a picturesque pond and a stunning view of Mount Adams. David's idea of a relaxing
weekend was working on the many ongoing maintenance projects on the property. The couple
also loved to travel, embarking on six different trips to Europe, as well as various excursions to
Japan, the Philippines, Central America, Peru, Canada, and across the United States.
David was utterly captivated by the love and majesty of God and spent many evenings taking
walks and talking with his Lord and Savior. His ability to express the wonder of his relationship
with Jesus is what drew many of his college students to sign up for his classes. Many of his
students have stated that his love for his Savior was very contagious and being in his classroom
felt like they were getting a glimpse of the throne room of God. To live and to encourage others
to live as receivers, responders, displayers, and dispensers of God's love, was his passion,
encouraging fellow believers in an enthusiastic, relational response to God and his Word.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jo, his parents, Ben and Hilda Needham, his sister
Barbara Wallace, and brother Malcolm Needham. He is survived by his sister Hildagarde
Mitchell of Escondido California, son Greg (Colleen) of Portland, daughter Barbara James
(David) of Bend, and 6 grandchildren Justin Olson, Brianna James, Michael James, Zac Gillen,
Dakota Wojiciki and Jessica Miller.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in David's name to Partners in Care Hospice in Bend,
Oregon, who took amazing care of David, at www.partnersbend.org/donate