David was born to David Franklin Gearhart and Vivian Lucille Sparks Gearhart on December 9, 1935 in Englewood, Kansas and passed away on February 24, 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
When David was very young, the family moved to Denver, Colorado, and later moved to Englewood, Colorado. David enlisted in the Naval Reserve in 1953, before he graduated from Englewood High School in 1954. David then attended Colorado A&M and was discharged from the Navy in December of 1956, before entering the Air Force, where he received Cadet Training in Biloxi, Mississippi. He was then assigned to Loring AFB in Maine as an Electronic Warfare Officer and in 1959 he married Rose Marie Schurman of Englewood, Colorado. Their first son, Gregory, was born in Limestone, Maine. He then graduated from Pilot Training at Moody AFB in Georgia in 1963, and then was stationed at Travis AFB in California where their second son, David, was born. They were also stationed at Goose Airbase in Labrador and Pease AFB, New Hampshire before he was discharged form the Air Force in October of 1968. David accepted a job as a Second officer for Western Airlines which later merged with Delta Airlines. He retired form Delta as a Captain in December of 1995.
He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Vivian Gearhart. He is survived by his wife: Rose Marie of Monument, Colorado; their two sons: Greogry of Seattle, Washington and David (wife, Karyn) of Hartsel, Colorado; and his brother: Stephen Gearhart of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Dave and Rose Marie loved to travel and camp in their motor coach and were very active members of the Trailblazers and Rolling Springs chapters of Colorado Family Campers and RVers. Dave was a devoted husband and father, he was known for his selfless nature, and was always willing to help his family and friends.
Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at Central Christian Church in Colorado Springs.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Macular Degeneration Society or the Leukemia/Lymphoma Foundation.