David C. Koester, 85

David C. Koester, 85, passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Feb. 6, 2006.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, 2006, at the Mountain View Cemetery in Ronan, Mont. Mr. Koester will receive full military honors at that time.

Dave was born on the family homestead in Roundup, Mont., on June 25, 1920. The family moved to a farm northeast of Ronan in 1930. One of four sons born to Carl and Georgia Koester, he began his schooling in a one-room converted schoolhouse on the farm with a live-in teacher and his younger brother Don, the only two students in the district at that time. He graduated from Ronan High School in 1938 (salutatorian) and enlisted in the Coast Guard at the advent of World War II. He served aboard a minesweeper escorting ships from Dutch Harbor Alaska, off The Aleutian Islands, to Russia, until his discharge in 1943.

After the war he met Jean McClure Bachman at a USO dance at the Hollywood Canteen and they were married on Aug. 8, 1943, in Santa Monica, a marriage that flourished for 58 years, until her passing in December 2001.

Dave attended Oregon State University on the G.I. Bill, earning an engineering degree and subsequently earned a master's degree in public administration from Kansas University in 1952, with the aide of a Carnegie Foundation grant, one of only six granted annually nation-wide. After an internship in Pittsburg, Kan., Dave accepted his first city manager position in Baker, Ore. After three years in Baker, he accepted a position with the city of Roseville, Calif., and served as its first city manager. In 1962 he accepted the city manger position in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he remained until his retirement, in 1981.

Following his tenure with the city of Santa Cruz, he was enlisted by Bechtel Corporation and the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to serve as city operations manager for the port city of Jubail on the Arabian coast, during the construction of this industrial city of 500,000 people built from scratch in the sands of the Saudi desert. Dave and Jean lived in Saudi Arabia until 1983.

He was a life-long member of the Lions Club, the Elks, and an honorary member of Rotary International, whose foundation awarded Dave its "Paul Harris Fellow" designation for "tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world."

His commitment to community was evidenced by his volunteer service with The Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and as board president of Hospice. A life-long Presbyterian, he was an active member of The First Presbyterian Church of Santa Cruz, where he served as a deacon.

Dave was also an adept card player who bluffed often in poker, "shot the moon" in hearts, and was a sly bidder in bridge. An avid camper and boater, he was equally at home on the waves and telling stories by the campfire. The first of his family with college degrees, all of his children followed his footsteps through California's college and university system, earning five degrees among them.

Following the completion of the Saudi contract in 1983, he and Jean traveled tirelessly, visiting all 50 states and traveling throughout the world with stops in China, Australia, Europe, Canada, Mexico, South America, the Middle East and Scandinavia.

His parents, Carl and Georgia; his wife Jean; daughter Karen Diane Lee; brothers Donald and Paul; preceded Dave in death. He is survived by his brother, Ward, of Sheridan, Wyo.; children, David Koester of Alameda, Calif.,, Debra Kellerman of Hope, Idaho, Craig Koester of Sandpoint, and granddaughter Chiminh Koester of San Diego.

Contributions, in Dave's memory, may be made to: The Healing Garden, c/o Bonner Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1448, Sandpoint, ID. 83864.

Lakeview Funeral Home in Sandpoint is handling the arrangements. Please visit David's memorial at www.lakeviewfuneral.com and sign his online guest book.