David passed away peacefully at his home in Lakewood on June 13, 2022, with his wife at his side. He was 87. The couple had recently moved from Montrose, Colo., to be closer to their large and growing family. During their 52-year marriage they lived in various locations in Australia and the United States and traveled widely both internationally and in the U.S.
David was born in Tacoma, Washington, on July 18, 1934. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a Bachelor of Science degree and received his Master of Science in Geology from the University of Idaho. During his long career as a specialist in industrial minerals, he worked on 40 projects in 26 countries. He completed his professional journey with a nine-year stint working with Native American tribes through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and teaching at Colorado School of Mines.
David is survived his wife, Felicula, and five children: Elizabeth Foster, Patricia Mann (Christopher) Davis, David (Kristine) Holmes, James Holmes, and Wendy Magira (Nicholas Gibbs) Holmes, as well as a brother, Frederick (Grace) Holmes, of Shawnee, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his son Thomas Holmes, in 2008. He also leaves behind eleven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters, with a grandson and two great-grandsons on the way.
Visitation will be 5:00–7:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, at Olinger Crown Hill Mortuary & Cemetery, 7777 W. 29th Ave. in Wheat Ridge, Colo. A memorial service will be held the following day, Wednesday, June 29, at 10:00 a.m. at the same location. All are invited to a luncheon immediately after the service at the residence of David W. and Kristine Holmes, 1456 S. Lee Ct., in Lakewood.
In memory of David’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Jeffco Action Center, www.theactioncenter.org.
