Harold David Colwell

A son of Missouri, longtime Chicago advertising man, proud denizen of both Michigan and Chicago ("the greatest city in the world", he claimed), Harold David ('Dave') Colwell, has died.
Colwell 86, died of kidney failure June 3, 2025, in Chicago.
Born in the Ozarks, in Sarcoxie, Missouri to the late Harold and Jewel Colwell, Dave was raised in Southwest Missouri (properly pronounced Missourah, he always insisted), graduated from the University of Missouri and embarked on his advertising career at Gardner Advertising in St. Louis. He credited his early efforts at painting promotional signage for his father's small town grocery store and lunch counter, to leading him to his career as an advertising writer and ultimately, creative director. Colwell moved to Chicago in 1978 and where he worked at the advertising agencies Foote Cone and Belding and Leo Burnett Company. Throughout his career he created memorable campaigns for Ralston Purina, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, United Airlines, Oldsmobile, and many other clients. He received numerous awards of recognition within his industry. In his later years, Dave devoted himself to more personal writing projects and other creative pursuits.
Colwell and his wife retired in 2000. They traveled extensively, including taking each of Colwell's seven grandchildren, when they turned age 12, on a 'wherever in the world you want to go' trip. These adventures were planned as an introduction to a world larger than their respective hometowns, and it was with great satisfaction that he saw each of his grandchildren develop an enduring appreciation for travel and an interest in other cultures.
Throughout his life, Colwell developed a passion for sports, history, classical and jazz music, theater, vintage comics, and single-blend whiskeys. He was an avid reader. He nurtured friendships from childhood and made a practice of writing regular letters to his grandchildren on a wide range of subjects. "I'm old", he said in recent years, "it's my turn to be a crotchety grump and tell them what I think of the world."
Colwell is survived by his wife of 44 years, Mary Ann Quick; his daughters and sons-in-law Catherine and John Ruprecht of St. Louis, Missouri and Elizabeth and Roger McCrary of Greenville, South Carolina; his well-traveled grandchildren Elizabeth Renner, Bonnie McCrary, Caroline Ruprecht Bangert (Jason Bangert), Natalie McCrary, Jack Ruprecht, Molly McCrary Gardner (Luke Gardner) and Rocky McCrary. He was also blessed to see his daughters become grandmothers themselves with the arrival of Zeke Gardner and George Bangert.
A service of remembrance will be held for the family. Any contributions friends wish to offer in his memory may be made to Breakthrough T1D (formerly called The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) or The Tunnel to Towers Foundation.