The youngest of eight children, David was full of spunk, a bit of mischief and contagious zeal. That energy served him well even as his high school counselor advised him to 'stay close to home on Putnam Street in Tunkhannock and pursue life as a farmhand.'

Bucking that counsel, 'Dave' went on to be center and defensive back of the undefeated Tunkhannock High School Tigers football team in 1954, and attend Penn State University's main campus where he met the love of his life, Alma 'Jane' Kennedy of Mars, earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant through Air Force ROTC in 1958.

Dave and Jane married two weeks after graduation and moved to Honesdale, where he served six months as an Assistant County Agent before reporting for pilot training at Bainbridge Air Force Base, Ga. Earning his silver wings in 1959 at Vance Air Force Base, Okla., Dave and Jane experience more than 20 moves in his 21-year, seven month Air Force career, adding three children along the way.

Dave, a.k.a 'Jake' logged more than 4,400 flying hours in fighter aircraft that include the F100, F4 and A7D, sat nuclear alert in southern Europe, graduated from the F100 Fighter Weapons School as outstanding pilot in academic phase in 1967, and flew 190 combat missions over South Vietnam in the F4, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1969.

Following the war, Dave was voted most outstanding instructor pilot in the F4 schoolhouse at George Air Force Base, Calif., and went on to serve as a fighter requirements action officer in Headquarters Air Tactical Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

Assigned to three tours in Europe, Dave attended Senior Service School at Royal Air Force Base Cranwell in the United Kingdom and went on to conceptualize, develop and inaugurate the syllabus, seminar courses and sorties in the Allied Air Forces Central Europe Tactical Leadership Program. To this day, TLP is NATO's elite 'top gun' air exercise.

Following his military retirement in 1980 as a Lieutenant Colonel, Dave and Jane moved back to their beloved Pennsylvania where he made a second career as the Air Force Junior ROTC Aerospace Education instructor at Great Valley High School in Malvern and Coatesville Area High School in Coatesville, until fully retiring in 2000. His joy in teaching high school students and desire to maximize their learning ability led to arrange field trips to Washington, D.C., and several military bases.

He also sponsored after school clubs for rocketry, model airplane building and Bible study. The CASH AFJROTC program was famous for its elegant annual Winter Ball, where Dave and Jane graced the event as a 'couple extraordinaire.'

Like his father, Dave was an avid gardener in his retirement and loved traveling the world with Jane and all willing grandchildren to visit their extended family.

Dave's drive for excellence was a supreme model for his three children, 16 grandchildren and expected 10 great-grandchildren: daughter, Susan and husband Jerry Knowles (Lt. Col., USMC-Retired) of Keller, Texas, have three children; son, Derek (Lt. Col., USAF-Retired) and wife Terri of Fairfax Station, Va., have four children; and son Douglas (Col., USAF-Retired) and wife Deborah of Bellbrook, Ohio., have nine children.

Following the legacy of their grandfather, seven of the 16 grandchildren are now serving or preparing to serve in the Air Force. All who knew Dave experienced his great love for country, liberty and flying jets. Most importantly, they knew he wholeheartedly loved God, embraced his family above his career and desired all to live closer to the Lord Jesus Christ in their life pursuits. Throughout the years, he would include favorite Bible verses such as Proverbs 3: 5,6 and 2 Timothy 1:7 in the countless letters he and Jane sent to family and loved ones, encouraging them to follow God's path for their lives and always face fear in God's strength.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers: John, George, Orin and Bill; and his sisters: Elaine and Cynthia.

He is survived by his amazing wife, Jane of more than 63 years; their soon-to-be 29 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and his sister, Charlotte. He will be fondly remembered by all the extended family, including his many nieces and nephews across the country.

Services were held at Keller Old Town Funeral Home, 220 Keller Parkway, Keller, Texas, and were officiated by Chaplain Bruce Ruiz, who spent many hours ministering to Dave in his final months at home. He was buried with military honors at the Dallas-Ft. Worth National Cemetery, on Tuesday, Jan. 11.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to any of the following: Billy Graham Evangelic Association (www.billygraham.org), Cadence International (www.cadence.org) or Samaritan's Purse (www.smaritanpurse.org).

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Wyoming County Examiner from Jan. 31 to Feb. 1, 2022.