Charles David “Col Dave” DePriest
Maureen Rovegno
We are greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Charles David “Col Dave” DePriest. Please find his obituary herewith.
Maureen O. Rovegno, M. Div.
Director of Religion
mrov...@chq.org | o: 716.357.6386 | c: 716-499-3350
Chautauqua Institution
PO Box 74 | 1 Ames Ave.
Chautauqua, NY 14722
chq.org |
online.chq.org
Dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life.
Charles David DePriest
October 18, 1938 – April 25, 2022
Charles David (“Col Dave”) DePriest, a retired Air Force Colonel of Marietta, Georgia, passed away peacefully in his sleep from cancer on April 25, 2022, at the age of 83. “Col. Dave” was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Dr. Charles Leonard DePriest and former school-teacher Betty Hoover DePriest.
Dave first came to Chautauqua as a young boy. In the 1950s he met Blanca Reinoso, his future wife of 31 years, when she worked at the former Muncie Hotel, next door to the DePriest family cottage at 4 Whitfield. Over the next several decades Dave continued to enjoy Chautauqua with his children, grandchildren, and many family friends.
Dave graduated in 1956 from Ramsey High School in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, with an award from the National Science Foundation in 1956 and was accepted into Pennsylvania State University to study electrical engineering. However, in 1959, he put his studies aside to enlist in the United States Air Force in hopes of becoming a navigator. In 1974, Dave received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering with Honors from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), followed by an M.S. degree in Electro-optics in 1975, also from AFIT.
Early in his Air Force career, Dave navigated B-52s during the Cold War, often flying over the North Polar ice cap. In total, he flew 129 combat missions during the Vietnam War accumulating 3,500 flying hours to become a “Master Navigator.” Later in his career, he led the exploration of GPS technology, then subsequently served as a USAF deputy division chief at the Pentagon, as well as director of operations in the Air Force Electronic Combat Office. Over his 32 total years serving in the Air Force, Dave rose from a cadet in training to the rank of Colonel which he achieved in 1984. Dave then retired in 1991. Among his numerous decorations for military service, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal, the Air Force Commendation Medal, and the Combat Readiness Medal.
After retiring from the Air Force, Col. Dave was a site manager for the Analytic Sciences Corp. before co-founding “DePriest Associates, Inc.” in 1997, a consulting company that assisted defense contractors in finding engineering and logistics opportunities sought by the Department of Defense. In 2015, he sold the business in order to finally enjoy full retirement.
Now that Col. Dave had free time, he enjoyed playing competitive bridge and was awarded the rank of “Life Master” by the American Contract Bridge League in 2019. Dave also loved to travel for recreation, and regularly attended Sunday services at His Hands church in Woodstock, Georgia. Dave’s other passions included studying the stock market, reading tax books, studying physics, playing games with his grandsons, taking an active role in his neighborhood, and joining his childhood best friend, John Fox, also a long-time Chautauquan, for meals & good conversation. Dave also enjoyed lively political discussions and was an active member of the Libertarian party.
Dave was a member of the Navigator Association, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Engineering Management Society, Mensa, the Georgia Vietnam Veterans Alliance, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), National Rifle Association (NRA), the Penn State Alumni Association, the Society of Logistics Engineers, and the Association of Old Crows and recipient of its prestigious Gold Certificate of Merit. Dave was best known and loved by his family and friends for his kindness, patience, generosity, and positive attitude with so many people throughout his lifetime.
David is survived by his sister Diane DePriest Seward (Tim); wife Mary Lynn Berthold; three children from his first marriage: Lisa Nees (Al), Diane Cokerdem-DePriest (Shayne), and David DePriest; four grandsons Jared Nees, Ethan Nees, Ryan Cokerdem-DePriest, and Justin Cokerdem-DePriest; and his first wife Blanca Reinoso DePriest. Dave is preceded in death by his parents and second wife Marlena Brechtel.
Colonel DePriest will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a date and time yet to be determined.