Vance, Arthur David 1938-2010

VANCE

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 1/30/2011 at 22:48:27

Catholic Sentinel
Portland, Oregon
Nov. 19- Dec. 2, 2010
Page 25 Column 2

Arthur David Vance, died Oct. 28, 2010.

Beloved husband, father, brother, uncle and friend Arthur David Vance passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010. He was surrounded at the end by the most important women in his life: his wife, his daughter and his big sister. “Dave” had struggled for a number of years with an undiagnosed degenerative brain disorder.

Dave was born on Jan. 31, 1938, to parents George and Geri Vance in Algona, Iowa, and later moved with his family to Mitchell, S.D., and Austin, Minn., before finally settling in Tucson, Ariz., where George founded the Casas Adobes Community Congregational Church. Dave attended the University of Arizona, where he earned both a Bachelor of Sociology as well as a Master of Criminology. Ever the cowboy at heart, Dave was a wrangler on a cattle ranch, and a counselor with a bullwhip for kids at YMCA camp, among many other jobs and joys.

Dave married his beloved wife Ski on Feb. 16, 1963, in San Diego. They moved to Walla Walla, Wash., where Dave worked for the state prison system, and then to Billings where Dave began his career as federal probation and parole officer.

In Billings, Dave and Ski had three children, Greg, Kevin and Veronica, and eventually moved to Missoula in 1979. Their married life was full of family, friends, tennis tournaments and raising their children, and Oct. 16 is officially “Dave Vance Day” in Missoula County.

Dave is survived by his wife; three children; brother Gary; sister Charlotte; and many nephews, nieces, grand nephews and grand nieces.

A mass of memorial will be offered by his son Greg at 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, at his home parish, Saint Charles Borromeo, 5310 NE 42nd Ave. Portland, OR 97218, with a reception to follow. Dave’s wife and children also plan to travel to Missoula this coming spring for another Mass of Memorial at Saint Francis Xavier Parish for all of his Montana friends and coworkers. The family gratefully thanks the staff at Saint Anthony Village Memory Care for their tender care of Dave since moving him there last March.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dave’s memory to Sacred Flight P.O. Box 6866, Portland, OR 97228 and/or Portland/Salem Hospice 25117 SW Parkway, Suite F, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

We commend Papa to God’s tender mercy and we will seek his presence in our hearts each and every day as our newest guardian angel.