July 15, 1937 - February 19, 2022
Dave was born in Lafayette, IN on July 15, 1937 to Edwin and Ruth (Hilsabeck) Strasburger. He was raised there on an Indiana farm until the early part of 1950 at which time the family moved to Holdrege, NE where he finished his education and graduated from Holdrege High School in 1955.
In August of 1956 he married his high school sweetheart Helen (Shanahan) Strasburger, and they lived in Omaha. In 1958 Dave was transferred from Omaha, NE to Los Angeles, CA with the Union Pacific Railroad. They lived there for several years before moving to Denver, CO. They raised three wonderful children: Teresa, Patrick, and Stephen.
Dave worked in accounting positions at Loretto Heights College, Martin Marietta, Adams County and Jefferson County. In 2003 Dave retired from Jefferson County as Finance Director. Late in 2004 a new hospital was opened (Good Samaritan Medical Center) near their home and Dave became a volunteer in the Supply Train Department and managed the mailroom. One thing that brought Dave joy was delivering cards and letter to patients at the hospital. In 2005 he was hired part time in the mailroom. Dave continued as a volunteer instructor in the Health and Healing Department, where he was able to share his experiences and knowledge on the use of oxygen. Many of his great grandchildren called him “O2” since they were unable to say oxygen in their early years. This nickname stuck as each new great grandchild came along. Due to health issues, Dave retired from the hospital in September 2018.
Family has always been a very important part of Dave’s life and each new marriage and grandchild brought him so much joy and pride. Dave and Helen enjoyed travelling to spend time with family and see the world. Together they frequented California, Nebraska, and Florida, and explored Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean.
Dave passed away at Collier Hospice Center at Lutheran Hospital on Saturday, February 19, 2022. He was preceded in death by parents Ruth and Edwin Strasburger, brother-in-law Larry Buckley, and sister-in-law Connie Strasburger. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Helen, daughter Teresa, sons Patrick and Stephen (Janet), nine grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, brother Ronald of Scottsdale, AZ, sister Michaela (Dwayne) Esau of Russell Springs, KY, sister Marlyn Buckley of Henderson, NV, brother Thomas (Nan) of Colorado Springs, CO, and countless other family and friends who loved him dearly.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Lung Association, www.lung.org, or St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org.
