Obituary:
David Earl Stringham lost his battle with cancer on July 7,
2014. He was born on June 17, 1949, in
Ogden, Utah, to Briant Earl Stringham and Dorothy Mae Watterson Stringham. He was the second child of Briant and Dorothy
with older brother Paul and younger siblings Daniel, Mark, and Julie. He attended school in Clearfield, Utah. He forged lifetime friendships with Bruce
Bingham and Wilson Astudillo, a foreign exchange student who lived with his
family. David had an adventurous nature,
loving outdoor activities of camping, hunting, and fishing. In 1959, the family built a cabin in Bear
Lake, where David loved to water ski. He also enjoyed attending the roller
skating rinks in Lakota and Sweetwater.
He attended Weber State and believed in lifelong education.
In October 1968, David was called to serve in the North
British Mission. He considered his
mission to be among the greatest experiences in his life. One of his utmost desires is that his
grandchildren, especially grandsons, will also serve missions.
Upon returning from his mission, David enlisted for six
years in the Army National Guard. He
completed basic training at Fort Ord near Monterey, California, and advanced
training in Denver, Colorado. He spent
summer camps and weekend drills in Salt Lake.
Eventually he joined the Army Reserves and transferred to Logan where
his father was also enlisted. He was a
medical equipment repairman working on electric and pneumatic hospital
equipment. David also worked with his
family to manufacture pickup campers in Paris, Idaho, and houses all around
Bear Lake, giving him design and building experience.
While chaperoning a group of boys on a choir activity, he
met Julie Floyd from Laketown. They
began dating on December 28, 1973, and he proposed on Valentine’s Day
1974. They were married in the Logan,
Utah, Temple on May 10, 1974.
David and Julie were blessed with five daughters: Tamilynn, Tonya, Teresa, Tiesha, and
Tara. They built a home and lived in Laketown. In 1985, the family moved to Garden
City. David accepted a job as
superintendent of the Bear Lake Special Service District, and Julie was the
postmaster in Garden City. David later
took a second job as manager of the Bear Lake Water Company.
Among his many church callings, David served as Scout
Master, Elders Quorum President, and in the bishopric. He was particularly fond of his calling as
Ward Mission Leader. He and Julie had a
desire to share the gospel with as many people as possible, and found great joy
in having missionaries in their home.
David and Julie loved Bear Lake, and were anxiously involved
to provide community service. David
built the first stage that was used for the Bear Lake Raspberry Days Festival,
and oversaw the pancake breakfast for many years. He was a volunteer firefighter and enjoyed
the training gained in this position. He
truly loved the people of Garden City.
In May 2006, David completed a new house on 130 West Street
in Garden City. This was built with love
as a gathering destination for their growing family. On June 26, 2010, the house caught fire. Most of the contents were a loss, but they
were able to escape without injury. They
appreciated so much the firefighters who risked safety to help them, and the
community which rallied around them to rebuild their home.
David fought melanoma-related cancer for much of his adult
life. In December 2008, his doctors
determined that they would no longer be able to prevent the cancer from
spreading. David and Julie decided that
they would spend as much time as possible with each other and their
grandchildren. David became increasingly
ill. On July 7, 2014, he was taken to
Logan, Utah, where he passed away a few hours later. He was preceded in death by his father, Briant
Earl Stringham; his parents-in-law, Roscoe and Faye Floyd; and his
sister-in-law, Launa Daines. He is
survived by his eternal bride, Julie, of Garden City; his loving mother,
Dorothy, of Garden City; daughters and their husbands, Tamilynn and Darrell Pugmire
of Mapleton, Utah; Tonya and Harold Hatch of Cokeville, Wyoming; Teresa and
Kenneth Pugmire of Payson, Utah; Tiesha and Aaron Hart of Garden City, Utah;
and Tara and Craig Wride of Garden City, Utah; siblings and their spouses, Paul
and Barbara Stringham, currently serving in the Nauvoo, Illinois, mission;
Daniel and Debbie Stringham of Laketown; Mark and Kathy Stringham of Garden
City; and Julie and Ken Stucki of Pocatello, Idaho; and the delight of his
life, 24 adoring grandchildren.
We will miss David, but we are relieved that his pain has
ended. His story is one of patience and
long-suffering. His last several months
were filled with countless moments to serve him and feel his strength. We want his legacy to live on, particularly
for his grandchildren. Please join us as
we work to follow David’s example to humbly accept whatever comes, always speak
kindly, laugh often, work hard, exercise faith, give willingly to church and
community, and always acknowledge the hand of the Lord in our lives. We are proud to be his family, and look
forward to reuniting with him in a better place.
