David Doft

David Lawrence Doft slipped into the open air on July 21, 1943. The first son of Carl Doft and Evelyn Doft (Enos), David spent his first years on a small family farm near the tiny hamlet of Henriette, MN. There he was joined by a brother, Rod, and two sisters, Karen and Donna. Rural living was tough on the family and when David was in 3rd grade they relocated to a home in Pine City, MN. Growing up in a small town, David became enthralled with the game of baseball. He and his brother Rod played every chance they got, often till dark. He became a gifted shortstop and eventually tried out professionally. His small, late-blooming body wouldn’t carry him to the next level though. Dave graduated from Pine City High School in 1961 and enrolled in Bethel College. He had trouble making enough money to pay for school so he enlisted in the Marine Corps shortly thereafter. In the Marines, his body, mind, and friendships grew dramatically. He worked diligently and for long hours in his role as the chief company supply officer. While home on leave Dave met a beautiful young teacher named Virginia Vagle. He was smitten and spent as much time as possible dating her, but his military service got in the way. His unit was transferred to Vietnam where he continued his hard work. He had some close calls there but was mostly “in the rear with the gear.” Thankfully he returned safely to his new love. They married, and in a year, Anthony Alan Doft was born. Dave enrolled at Bemidji State University and graduated cum laude with honor and distinction with majors in psychology and philosophy, and a minor in sociology. Upon graduating Dave pursued a career in social work. His first jobs were in Michigan and Bemidji but after a couple of years, the new family moved to St. Peter, Minnesota to stay. There Dave used his gifts of boundless energy and care to touch the lives of students across southern Minnesota: Le Center, Nicollet, Cleveland, and St. Peter. Eventually, he was able to focus all of his efforts on St. Peter High School. There his leadership skills blossomed. Under his guidance St. Peter won a state-wide competition “The North Star Challenge” which emphasized drug-free activities. The next year the Vikings sponsored the same contest and St. Peter won by an even larger margin. The celebrations put on at SPHS by those pro teams were epic…and completely drug-free! After nearly three decades of touching the lives of young people, especially his son Tony and Tony’s foster brothers Ken Humphrey, Tom Ellis, and Todd Nelson, Dave retired. At his retirement party, the school board chairwoman remarked, “ Dave was the most beloved person to walk the halls of St. Peter High School.” Shortly after retirement Dave and Ginny relocated to Red Feather Lakes, Colorado to be closer to Tony and his wife Julia and their grandchildren Macy and Savannah. There he relished in the beauty of the mountains, golfed, played tennis, and hiked frequently. He spoiled his grandchildren, played with them at every opportunity, and they adored him for it. As his years of physical activity caught up to his body, Dave began to work even harder on sharpening his mind. He read voraciously and loved to contribute to his book club. His beliefs directed him to fight for children, families, and their care. He was passionately liberal and MAY have been responsible for some of the artwork on the rock near Ted’s place. Unfortunately, he recently developed an itch to try Kayaking. He had only kayaked a few times but was absolutely delighted by his beautiful trip on smooth-as-glass Dowdy Lake on September 16th. He enjoyed it so much that he had to go back the next day. However, conditions changed rapidly and he was caught in a sudden wind storm. Apparently, his kayak capsized and he was unable to recover. He was pronounced dead by drowning at 1:30 pm, September 18th, 2019 at the Medical Center of the Rockies. He is survived by his wife Virginia Lea Doft of Livermore Colorado, his son Anthony Alan Doft and wife Julia Lee, his granddaughters Macy Rae and Savannah Grace Doft of Windsor, Colorado, his brother Rodney Doft and wife Sandy of Albuquerque, New Mexico, his sister Karen Peck (Doft) and husband Doyle Peck of Sorrento, Florida, and sister Donna Doft of Sun City Arizona. A Memorial Service will be held on Sunday, September 29th at 1:30 pm at The Chapel in the Pines church in Red Feather Lakes Colorado with a light snack reception to follow.