David William Child

David William Child

September 17, 1945, to March 25, 2025

David W. Child was born in Wellsville, NY on September 17, 1945, and died in Aurora, CO on March 25, 2025, at the age of 79. We lived on a farm near Angelica, NY until March 1952. We had a family of 8 at that time, plus a dog, Teddy. David’s father, Alfred W. Child, had Tuberculosis, so we sold the farm and moved to Flagler, CO for his health. It took us 5 days to drive to Colorado, with 8 of us in the car, plus our dog, in a 1949 Dodge 4 door sedan. We lived with the Frank and Dorothy Harwood family north of Flagler, on a farm, for about 4 months, which was a total of 14 people in a small 2-bedroom house, with no indoor plumbing. We all enjoyed that very much. In July 1952, Dad got better, and we moved to Denver.

David attended Mapleton Public Schools until September of 1962, completing his Junior year at Mapleton High School. He played French Horn in the band, and was on the Wrestling team. The family then moved to the Westminster, CO school district, so David graduated from Westminster, CO High School in June 1963.

In September 1963, David enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for 4 years on active duty. He went through basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, and then Medical Assistant training and Aeromedical Training at Schilling Air Force Base in Salina, KS. His longest assignment was at an Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, for 2 years, where he helped perform pre-flight physicals and other flight related medical duties, drew blood, and performed basic first aid care. He loved Puerto Rico, and the people and the weather down there. He made friends with some older civilians down there, bought a Moped to get around, and often spent weekends with an older couple off base. David left the Air Force in August 1967 and returned to Denver.

Once David was back in Denver, he lived with his parents, worked part time, and used the GI Bill to work on his college degree. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He loved animals and all creatures, great and small, including insects, spiders, and everything else. He loved to improve habitat for them around his home and other places. He worked at the Denver Zoo (City Park Zoo) for a short time, and then Bureau of Land Management, Department of Fish and Game, and other in state and out of state assignments, working with fish and animals. One of his major jobs was recording and documenting wildlife movement and activities and counting wildlife. He was also a major Environmentalist and Conservationist, and donated generously to those causes. He volunteered on many projects related to the Environment and Conservation, and volunteered for many years at many events at 4-mile Historic Park in Southeast Denver. He liked preserving history, and learning and talking to people about how people lived in the olden days. David belonged to a Mountain Man Club and went on many campouts, with primitive gear and canvas tents, around Fort Lupton and other places. He was an Assistant Scoutmaster with Boy Scout Troop 324 in Westminster, CO, and helped young Scouts earn their Merit Badges and whatever else they needed help with.

At some point, David decided to move back to Denver, when he was in his late 30’s, and became more domestic. He worked for many years as a security guard in a large office building in Englewood, CO. After that, he decided to venture out on his own, and created Top to Bottom Home Repair, where he did home repairs, maintenance, painting, and remodeling for apartment houses and single family homes for many years, until he was physically unable to do it anymore. He bought a single family home in Aurora, where he lived for about 30 years. He left that home 3 years ago when he fell down the stairs and broke his neck, which resulted in partial paralysis, and he was never able to return home. He also had Parkinson’s Disease, Arthritis, and Diabetes, which contributed to his disabilities in later years. Still, he did what he could, and maintained his sense of humor up until the end.

David never married, and had no children. He was pre-deceased by his parents, Alfred W.Child and Geraldine J. (Wilson) Child, and brother Danny. He is survived by his brothers Bob Child (wife Joan), Rodney Child (wife Diane), and his sisters Marilyn Lightsey and Pam Child. He is also survived by his nephews Brad Child, Lonnie Child, Todd Child, J. C. Cook, Dustin Lightsey, and Travis Lightsey, and his nieces Julie (Child) Yeomans, Sheree (Montano) Hunt, Tammy (Child) Smeltzer, and Angie Cook, and many great nephews and nieces, and many cousins. David will be cremated at All Veterans Funeral and Cremation Services, and buried in Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. Committal Services at Fort Logan are on Friday, April 18, 2025, at 10:30 AM.