David Thomas Stevens

David Thomas Stevens passed away Wednesday August 31, 2022 in Ogden, Utah.  David was born May 24, 1942 in Salt Lake City.  He graduated from Granite High School and served a mission to New Zealand for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Dave also served in the United States Army and Army National Guard for the better part of 40 years, including as a combat engineer in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.  During his time in the military, Dave received many awards and commendations including (among others):  the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal, and the Bronze Star.   

Dave worked construction for most of his life.  He owned his own excavation company in Arizona.  He also worked as a foreman and superintendent for companies in Utah, overseeing excavation for large commercial projects.  He was an extremely hard worker and took pride in doing the job right.  That work ethic, integrity, and skill with large machinery (“he could butter toast with a backhoe”) helped him oversee jobs throughout the western United States as well as in Chile and South Africa.  

Dave loved people.  He was very friendly and would talk to anyone (and often everyone).  He especially loved little children.  He had a pilot’s license and loved to fly, but probably took more joy giving kids “helicopter rides,” flying them around the room on his forearms, while they used his thumbs as the controls to instruct him when to go up or down, left or right.  Dave was a kind-hearted, loving man, who had a testimony of his Savior and was always susceptible to emotions that came with spiritual experiences.

Dave is survived by a daughter (Heather Holliday), two sons (Aaron and Zachary Stevens), and ten grandchildren.