David Lynn Baarstad

Dr. David L. Baarstad passed away, peacefully, at his son’s home in Ventura, California on November 28, 2017, his 94th birthday. Dave lived a long and rich life, full of love and joy, freely given and gratefully received. He was an accomplished scholar, educator, friend, the moral compass of his family, and a distinguished gentleman.

Dave was born in a farmhouse in Nome, North Dakota on November 28, 1923, to parents Edward and Charlotte Baarstad. He grew up as a farm boy on land that had been homesteaded by his Norwegian immigrant grandfather in the 1880s, and that is still farmed by Baarstads. Dave would ride a horse to school in good weather, and in his father’s horse drawn sleigh in bad. He was the fifth of five children, and enjoyed a happy childhood with extended family and friends. From a young age, he demonstrated gifts as a scholar and musician.

Dave graduated from Valley City State Teachers College in Valley City, North Dakota in 1946 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a minor in Music. He accepted his first teaching job in the small prairie town of Plentywood in North Eastern Montana. It was there he met another new teacher named Betty Hubbard from the “big city” of Minot, North Dakota. They soon learned they shared a love of family, education, and music. A romance was born that was to last 71 years. Dave and Betty were married in Minot, North Dakota on June 15, 1949.

Following their wedding, Dave earned a Master’s Degree in Education at Northwestern University in Chicago, and Betty a Master’s in Music. Upon completion of their education, they returned to Minot, North Dakota where their son Jeff was born in 1954. Dave and Betty visited family in the San Diego area during the winter and decided their future was in California. Dave accepted a job as Head Counselor at Western High School in Anaheim in June 1955, the same month Disneyland opened a mile from their new home. Dave spent several summers working at Disneyland for a little extra cash, and was a security guard dressed as an English Bobby, a costume Betty and son Jeff found quite amusing.

In 1962, Dave accepted a job as Director of Special Programs with Hueneme School District and the family moved to Ventura, Dave and Betty’s home for the past 55 years. Dave moved to Ventura Unified School District as Director of Special Education in 1968 and remained with Ventura Unified for the rest of his career. He completed his education with a Doctorate in Education at Brigham Young University in 1972. Dave and Betty became parishioners at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church upon their arrival in Ventura, and enjoyed decades of worship, service and fellowship with their church family. They were active in the community, with Dave a loyal member of the Ventura Downtown Lion’s and the Ventura Retired Professional Men’s Club. As their roots in Ventura deepened, so too did their friendships throughout the community. Following their retirement, Dave and Betty spent 25 wonderful years traveling all over the country in their motorhome, and with their friends in the VCer’s traveling club. Destinations included the far reaches of Alaska, Mexico and the East Coast. The friendships and memories gained were a blessing, and something for which they were grateful.

As a professional, Dave was truly a pioneer in the field of special education. At Northwestern, he took classes in psychology and psychological assessment in an effort to gain a wider understanding of learners. In the 1960s he took pre-Doctoral education classes at USC, reading of emerging research indicating students could struggle greatly in school, not because they were “dumb” or “lazy”, but because they had specific learning disabilities that could be identified and successfully addressed. In Hueneme School District and later in Ventura Unified, he developed groundbreaking new programs to address student’s special needs. He focused on learning disabilities in his Doctoral work at BYU, and had the opportunity to tour programs across the nation, and interact with distinguished scholars in the field. Upon completion of his Doctorate, he was offered opportunities to open Special Education Departments at the University of Montana and the University of North Dakota. However, Betty vetoed a move back to the cold climes, and away from son Jeff. Dave served as an adjunct faculty member at California Lutheran University and Cal State Northridge, served on State level committees and presented at numerous conferences and seminars. Yet his greatest strength was his ability to take his extensive knowledge of special education, and apply it, practically, to the needs of students, special education and regular classroom teachers. He was respected and beloved by staff in Ventura Unified, and scores of frustrated parents that were finally seeing progress in their children’s education.

Dad was an accomplished scholar and educator, but an even greater father, uncle, grandfather and great grandfather. He was a strict yet loving disciplinarian, always insisting we choose “the hard right against the easy wrong”, something he modeled consistently in his own life. Dad had a deep voice, a formal bearing and an articulate vocabulary, all of which came into play when giving admonitions and life lectures. Picture Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) in To Kill a Mockingbird. Yet his was a joyful and loving presence, never fearful. He exuded warmth, and was constantly singing or humming a tune as he went about his day. He cherished time spent with his siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews, and would go to any lengths to support their needs. Yet, when it came to family, it all started and ended in his romance with wife Betty. He was fiercely proud of her accomplishments as a musician and educator, and spoke of them often. While his career dominated their moves as a family, he always made sure she had the space to carve out her own life at work and in the community. No matter how busy life became, there was always time for cards, flowers, and date nights. Theirs is a bond that will never be broken. Mom was quite ill the last 18 months of her life, and Dad cared for her lovingly and faithfully. She passed on July 3 of this year, and we had hoped that Dad might enjoy several more years with us, but his own illness, and a broken heart determined otherwise.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Charlotte Baarstad; brothers, Maynard, Eugene and Rudolf Baarstad; sister, Harriet Dobbert; wife, Betty Baarstad, and many beloved aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws. He is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Jenny Baarstad of Ventura; granddaughter, Brooke Baarstad of Nipomo; grandson and wife, Ian and Alyssa Baarstad; and great granddaughter, Charlotte Baarstad, of Ventura; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

Dave was buried next to Betty at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park on December 6, 2017, in a private ceremony with his immediate family. This past September 16, a memorial service for Betty Baarstad was held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Ventura. It was attended by hundreds of family and friends from around the country, and in Dad’s words, was “just perfect”. As a family, we just don’t have the heart to put on another one this soon for Dad. To all of you that attended Mom’s service, thanks for honoring them both with your presence. Our family would like to thank Dr. Evan Slater and the staff at the Ventura County Medical Center Oncology Clinic, the staff at the Ventura Townehouse, hospice nurse Melanie, and caregivers Victoria and Susan for their loving care of Dad these past months.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, CA 93003. Condolences may be sent to TedMayrFuneralHome.com.