David was a native of Ames, Iowa, where he graduated from Iowa State University. He was in the US Navy during Vietnam, in the Gulf of Tonkin area aboard the USS Constellation from 1963-1967. He lived in Houston in the early '70s, where his oldest daughter was born, and then moved to California to the South San Francisco Bay Area in the mid-70s. He spent the 80s & 90s working and raising his children and thriving in the fast pace of the tech boom in Silicon Valley, moving from Sunnyvale to Redwood City in 1999. After 8 years in Redwood City, he moved to Berkeley, California after deciding to move in with Betsy after 6 years together. In 2015, he returned to his roots to Omaha, Nebraska with Betsy.

David's exuberance and excitement for life, love, experiences, emotions, knowledge, friendship, and empathy made him unforgettable to anyone who had the privilege of encountering him. He spread kindness, generosity, compassion, and thoughtfulness everywhere he went and touched the lives of so many people.

As an optical engineer, he spent his career trying to advance in his field and discover all he could about everything else. As a poet, he was the creator of lovepoetry.com, that website was oft considered his youngest child by his actual youngest child. If you waited tables in Silicon Valley anytime in the 80s or 90s, he probably quoted a poem or three to you whenever you came to the table to check on him. He loved to learn and loved to share that knowledge with anyone who would listen. 

David loved the arts - music, art, theater, opera, ballet. He wasn't afraid to cry and was a staunch feminist. He raised his daughters to know they could do anything they put their minds to. He was a dreamer, an inventor, holder of many patents. He was the man you went to for advice - on life, love, and everything in between. 

David is survived by his two daughters, Sarah Jowett, and Michelle Bender; his grandson Connor Jowett, the love of his life, Betsy McDaniel; his stepchildren Jay and Stacey Jolley, David and Cristin Jolley, and Emily Jolley, along with his step grandchildren, Connor, Evan, and  Makenna. In California, his stepsons, Troy, John, and Joseph Barros, and his step Grandson Cameron Barros, plus all of the many other people who he considered to be his children. Not to mention numerous nieces, nephews.

David was there for anyone who needed a Dad, or even just a friend. His last wish was for the impeachment and incarceration of Donald Trump and all of his colluders. A true Renaissance Man, the world is a bit dimmer now that he is no longer in it. He is missed and loved by many.