David "Dave" Steele Conant

Dave was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Benjamin Conant and Katharine Steele Conant. He grew up in the small town of Pembroke, where he developed a deep love for nature. His favorite childhood memories were of exploring woods, fields and bogs with his four best friends. None of them gave a second thought about taking a dip in a pond populated with snapping turtles. He lived in an old renovated barn, sharing his bedroom space in his early years with more than a few bats in the rafters and a rather large colony of carpenter ants.

After graduating from high school, he took a summer job painting buildings at Thule Air Base in Greenland. He recalled one evening playing softball in the midnight sun, trekking to the ice sheet and then hoofing it back to clock in at work on time the following morning.

He later attended University of Denver for its proximity to skiing. He never left Colorado, treasuring its sunny climate and clean Rocky Mountain air.

Dave graduated with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. He dedicated himself to a career in public service for thirty-plus years, working for the Colorado Department of Health Services, Disability Determination Services. He also volunteered for the Denver Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association and Denver Urban Gardens.

Married to Jane Foster Conant for twenty-five years, together they raised two children, Linda and Kathy. He was a patient caring father, who took time to play. At the start of summer, he set up the backyard badminton net. The matches were good fun and involved a certain amount of physical agility to stay clear of the honeysuckle bushes. On weekends, Dave took the family to the mountains for picnics and camping. Every other summer paved the way for a long road trip back East to visit family.

In his retirement years, he and his second wife, Lynn Howard, explored North America in their small campervan. Dave had many passions in life, including tennis, gardening, and the card game Hearts. He was known for his generosity, kindness, positive attitude, and the art of cloud gazing.

He is survived by his daughters Linda Chrisman, Kathy Ford; step-daughter Lauren Howard; three grandchildren; twelve great-grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; niece Sue Cook and nephew Peter Conant.

A celebration of Dave’s life will be held on Sunday, August 3rd, 1:00, at the Windsor Community Recreation Center, 250 11th St, Windsor, CO. Friends and family are invited to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests a donation be made to The Wildlife Animal Sanctuary in David Conant's memory. https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/donate