David Loyd Tope (1932-2017)

TOPE, HOLDER, KLAMPE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11

From Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care obituary, Ames, Story County, Iowa:

It is with great sorrow we announce the passing of David Loyd Tope. Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather. A service will be held on September 1st, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Cecilia Church in Ames, IA. There will be a brief visitation preceding the service at 10:00 a.m. and a luncheon following.

Dave was born to Loyd and Thelma Tope on July 5th, 1932 in West Union, Fayette County, Iowa. Dave attended West Union Public Schools and then West Union High School as a teenager, graduating in 1950. In 1952, he joined the United States Air Force and went on to train at Parks Air Force Base outside of Oakland, California and later served his country in the Korean War.

Dave was honorably discharged in 1956 and moved back home to West Union where he got a job with Hansen Engineering as a draftsman. Dave would frequent Loftus Restaurant where he met a beautiful waitress named Darlene Holder. Dave would go there just to see her. After a while they began to date and on November 24th, 1962 they were married alongside Darlene's twin sister, Diane, and her husband, Don.

Dave and Darlene had their first son, Dean, on November 12th, 1963. They moved when Dave got a job as a civil engineer for the City of Waterloo. Not long after, they had their second son, Don, on November 23rd, 1966. They moved around a couple more times for Dave's job but would eventually settle on the City of Ames in 1971. Shortly after, he joined the Army Reserves to be closer to home. He retired with honors from the service in 1992, and then from the city a couple years later. But with Dave's need to be active and working, he picked up another job transporting railroad engineers and crewman across the Midwest. Dave loved to drive and it was the perfect fit for him, but he eventually had to leave it.

After retirement from all his random jobs, Dave spent a lot of time at the American Legion in Ames and Nevada. He was known very well throughout the Ames community.

Dave passed away on August 20th, 2017 at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, IA where he was surrounded by loved ones.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father, Loyd and Thelma; and his brother and sister, Harold Tope and Margaret Foxwell.

He is survived by his wife, Darlene; his two sons, Dean and Don; his 4 grandchildren, Tiffany, Calyn, Tanya, and Derrick; and his great grandchildren Koressa Tope and Donovan Klampe.

Memorials may be directed to the family.

http://www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com/
 

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