David Wallace Degn

David Degn, a gentle and generally merry old soul, embarked on his final journey on the eve of his 83^rd birthday, at peace and in good spirits at his family home in South Ogden.

Born March 7, 1940, in Salt Lake, Dave was the eldest child of the late Victor and Alma Wallace Degn, and the proud big brother of William “Billy” Degn and Susan Degn McPeck (Daniel), both of whom departed Earthly life before him. He was a loving and devoted father to Heidi Michelle Hanley (Edward), Eric David Degn and Rachel Alma Degn; a dedicated stepfather to Diana and Nicole Wolf; and a doting grandfather to Evelyn, Mira, Maxwell, Mia and Ana.

Growing up, Dave was the quintessential Boy Scout, actually earning an Eagle badge in August 1956. He attended Weber High School (class of 1958), where he was student director of the orchestra and the most enthusiastic Drum Major ever to lead their Marching Band.  In January 1961, he was called to the LDS West German Mission, which he served until July 1963 -- an experience that indelibly molded his adult identity.

Dave won a scholarship to University of Utah, where he studied Engineering (class of 1965); he went on to study German at Brigham Young University.  In 1968, he and his first wife, Beverley Hodgson (mar. 1964, div. 1970) accepted graduate teaching positions at the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus and moved with baby Heidi to Honolulu.  Dave went on to become an Industrial Engineer for a “Big Five” Sugar Company on Kauai, and a member of the Mauna Kea Ski Patrol. In November 1969, he launched a career with Lufthansa German Airlines, a trajectory he followed until landing an early retirement as Senior Agent Service Freight in November 1995.

On December 29, 1972, Dave married Renate Wolf at the Salt Lake LDS Temple. Although she was called to Heaven before him in April 2007, they are now Celestially reunited for eternity. Their children, Eric and Rachel, were born in Massachusetts and raised in Southern California, where, for 20 years, Dave also threw an L.A. Times paper route.  After retiring from Lufthansa, he moved back to Utah and kept working for several years at Circuit City, and finally at Home Depot until 2014. 

Dave was an intrepid and lifelong world traveler - it would literally be easier to list the countries he didn’t visit than to try to list the ones he did!  During his marriage to his third wife, Gabriele, from 2008 - 2022, he beat a regular flight path to and from Germany until COVID shut the airports down. He devoted his final years to visiting family, and to organizing and sharing the treasure trove of images he had captured on camera over the course of his lifetime.

We will gather in celebration of this remarkable life on Tuesday, March 14^th from 6 - 8 pm at the LDS Church at 4075 Orchard Avenue Ogden, Utah and Graveside Services on Wednesday, March 15th at 11:00 a.m. at Leavitt’s Aultorest Memorial Park, 836 36^th Street, Ogden, Utah.