Dave Pond

(May 22, 1951 - Jan. 9, 2020)

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At home on “The POND-erosa” on Jan. 9, 2020, at age 68, surrounded by family, Paul David Pond hung up his tool belt for the last time.

Dave was born May 22, 1951, in Powell and adopted by his parents, A.G. “Buck” and Ariel Pond. An athletic youth, he played football and basketball, and played on Powell’s 1965 Wyoming State Champion Babe Ruth team. After being gifted luggage for graduation from Powell High School in 1969, Dave headed to Alaska to work for a year.

Upon returning to the Lower 48, he attended Arizona State University for a year before returning home to resume working in the family business, Pond and Pond Construction. Dave took over as owner in 1983, proud to carry on as the third generation doing light remodeling, building custom homes and commercial buildings from the ground up. Dave also managed many rentals, was a FHA construction inspector and appraiser, and owned Beartooth Appraisal Service and the Suds Shoppe Car Wash. Dave was known to be honest, fair and reliable. As time allowed, he attended classes at Northwest College and earned his Associate of Science Degree in 1989.

Time passed, his hair grew long, and over Thanksgiving 1975, while visiting best friend Gary Kohnke in Las Vegas, he met Margie Todd. He wooed her with that long hair, his smile, card playing and disco skills. She came to Powell to meet the family shortly after and the rest, as they say, is history. After a haircut and a wedding in Superior, Nebraska, on Sept. 4, 1977, the disco skills were never seen again, though perhaps passed on, to their only living child, daughter Lindsay, born in 1983. Lindsay became the love and focus of their life together.

Although David trained to be a pilot, taught Hunter Safety Education courses, was an elder of Union Presbyterian Church, a volunteer firefighter with the Powell Volunteer Fire Department for 10 years, a 45-plus year member of B.P.O. Elks #2303 and held various offices including exalted ruler in 1982-1983, fatherhood was perhaps his favorite role.

He held a variety of jobs throughout his life, but his real passion was building. His impeccable craftsmanship can be found in buildings and homes across Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Arizona and even Hawaii.

When Dave wasn’t working, answering a fire call or attending a meeting, he was enjoying a few beers with friends and/or family. He loved playing softball, slipping away for a round of golf, hunting birds with the guys, fishing, snow skiing, and playing pool or penny ante poker. As long as he was hanging with friends or family, he was loving life. His coy little smile, stories and jokes are already sorely missed.

The family moved to Billings, Montana, in 1989, where Dave attended Eastern Montana College and sold real estate at Best Realty. In 1991, they moved their “POND-erosa” to Loveland, Colorado, to care for Margie’s aunt. Dave worked for Deines Lumber for the first year after their move before returning to his passion — self-employed building contractor and home inspector. He also willingly picked up the video camera to serve as video guy for Margie’s dance studio, attending too many clogging performances to count.

David struggled with diabetes for many years and was forced into an early retirement in 2012. Being the stubborn man that he was, he pushed on — enduring two years of dialysis, hospitalizations and being wheelchair bound. Even though he could no longer pound nails, he was watching “DIY/How to” videos up to a week before he died, and loving on all the pups that visited their “PAW’nd-erosa” for day care and boarding. But, on Jan. 4, 2020, when the pain became too much to bear, he made the decision to enter hospice care.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents, lifelong friend Gordon “Ernie” Durham, and is survived by his wife Margie, daughter Lindsay, son-in-law Patrick Perrin, sister Dee Ann (Dave) Jolley, niece Kara Ann Noblitt, many cousins and a few close friends.

No life event in the Pond family is properly complete without there being a party. However, gatherings to celebrate Dave’s life (in both Loveland and Powell with food provided) are pending due to the coronavirus pandemic. (A short service honoring Dave will be held at the beginning of both parties.)

In lieu of flowers, contributions are appreciated to either the family or to the PAL+ program that helped Dave and Margie many times over the years: non-profit Animal Friends Alliance, 2321 E. Mulberry St., Unit 1, Fort Collins, CO 80524.

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