David W McFarland

Dave was the son of James Elden McFarland and Nellie DeEsta McGuire and was born in Berkley California. He was one of 5 children. In his early days the Boy Scouts were and important part of his life and he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended UCLA, where he received a BS in Geography, and was in the Naval ROTC where he won a watch for “best navigator”. He was captain of the UCLA Cross Country team. In 1940 he entered the U.S. Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant and served in the Pacific Theater of WWII in Hawaii, Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, and other islands. After the war, Dave attended flight school at Pensacola, Florida, earning his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1947. He flew Corsair fighter planes off of aircraft carriers before the Korean War and trained as a helicopter pilot. He served in the Korean War as a helicopter squadron commander. He was awarded the two Silver Stars for his acts of bravery rescuing wounded marines behind enemy lines.

In 1942, Dave married Margaret Lucille Wood; she passed away in 2001. They had three sons [Greg (Julie), Dwight(Babe), and Bill(Becky)] and moved every few years to follow Dave’s career. Margaret was a devoted Marine Corps wife.

Dave’s career with the Marine Corps lasted 27 years and he achieved the rank of Colonel and his last assignment was in the Secretary of the Navy’s office in the Pentagon. During his career he furthered his education by earning an MBA from George Washington University.

In 2001, Dave met Mary who became his wife and the love of his life for 8 years. Mary was a devoted wife, cared for Dave very much, and was an incredible caregiver. Dave is survived by his wife, three sons, 6 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren. For the past year, Dave was under the loving care of Adrianna, Veronica, and Soren at the Golden Pine Adult Family Home in Redmond, Washington.

A private memorial service will be held at Tahoma National Cemetery.