David E. Garoutte

David E. Garoutte, 68, of Fort Wayne passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Dave was the son of Harold and Billie Jean (Tarrant) Garoutte born on May 15, 1954 in Frankfort am Main, Germany. In 1974, Dave married his high school sweetheart Cynthia (Smith) in Springfield, Missouri and together they shared 49 years of marriage. Following high school graduation from Parkview High School in 1972, Dave was privileged to be appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He returned home in 1973, to complete a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a minor in Physics from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) in Springfield, Missouri, graduating in 1979. Dave was employed by General Electric and held multiple positions in the company that took his family from Springfield Missouri to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before returning again to Fort Wayne in 1985. He retired after a 45 year career as a Senior Application Design Engineer in February of 2021.

Over the years, Dave's passion and love for reading and a good book were instilled in his children and grandchildren. They were all introduced and have come to love the Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia and The Wingfeather Saga books from their experience of listening to him read these to them. He also loved his Sci-Fi and was known to have introduced and fostered his kids love of all things Star Wars and Doctor Who. He had a passion for teaching and tutoring mathematics to not only his kids and grandkids but also their friends. Over the years, there were many nights where the dining room table was full of the kids and their friends working on anything from Algebra to Calculus and Physics. He also spent a number of years working in the youth group at Calvary Baptist Church as the Junior and Senior High Youth leader (along with his wife Cindy). Dave was the definition of "a kid at heart" and was often found sitting in the floor playing with the grandkids. He loved to play "let's pretend" and dress up with the girls to play Disney princesses. He would build legos and do brain teasers with the grandsons for hours. He also loved working in the yard, mowing and being outside on any given day. He took pleasure in helping and fellowship with his neighbors whether it was mowing and / or raking leaves to shoveling and snow blowing drives in the winter. He also enjoyed building, creating and expanding the square foot, raised bed garden in the back yard every year and loved walking for miles with Cindy daily. Several years ago, Dave and Cindy found the joys of a low-fat, whole-food, plant-based lifestyle and thrived in helping others see the incredible benefits of pursuing a Plantstrong life through first hand experience.

Dave is presided in death by his father Harold P. Garoutte, mother Billie Jean (Tarrant) Garoutte, a sister Donna Garoutte, and a grandson Noah Anderson Williams. He is survived by his wife Cynthia (Cindy), his three married children Terra (Garoutte) and George Williams, Jonah and Joy (Eshelman) Garoutte, and Jamin and Amy (McPherson) Garoutte. He has 7 surviving grandchildren Emma Mae Garoutte, Hannah Marie Williams, Brennan Tate Garoutte, Chandler Benjamin Garoutte, Micaela Grace Garoutte, Norah Grace Williams, and Finley Emersyn Garoutte. He has three surviving siblings, a sister Paulletta Aldridge, Paul (Beverly) Garoutte, Jeffery (Rebecca) Garoutte and a brother-in-law Kenneth Smith (Vanessa Brown), as well as several nieces and nephews.

A visitation/gathering time will be shared at D.O. McComb & Sons (4017 Maplecrest Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46815) on Thursday, April 20th, 2023 from 2pm–4pm & 6pm–8pm. A private, family graveside service will follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers please consider donations to the Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and the Esselstyn Foundation (for heart health). Links are listed below.

Fort Wayne Rescue Mission: https://fwrm.org/give-help/financial-gifts

Esselstyn Foundation (for Heart Health): https://esselstynfamilyfoundation.org/donate/