David "Dave" Thatcher, Sr.

David “Dave” Thatcher Sr, age 83, of Delaware, OH passed away on Fri. May 22, after a brief fight with the CO-VID 19 virus and a longer struggle with dementia. Dave is survived by his wife of 63 years, Nancy B. Thatcher; his son, David Thatcher Jr., his daughter, Christy (Thatcher) Bening, his son-in-law, Dave Bening; his grandchildren, Austin Bening, Elissa Bening and Jack Thatcher. He attended Columbus North High School, class of 1955. For 45 years he was the owner and operator of Davco Appliance Service in Columbus and Westerville. Because Dave was a friendly and outgoing guy, he made friends all around Columbus and Westerville through his business calls. When people needed advice about the appliances they wanted to buy or whether something still had a bit of “life” left in it, they would ask Dave for a recommendation – he made sure to take good care of his customers with whom he had a bond built on trust and loyalty. In 1970 when Dave and Nancy moved to Sharon Woods, they brought that same friendly and supportive attitude to their neighborhood. Many of the neighbors would meet after work to share a beer and a story; the men were always up to some crazy shenanigans: a favorite being the funnelator – a giant slingshot used to launch water balloons for great distances. The families who lived on Staffordshire planned block parties, watched each other’s children, vacationed together and supported each other in good and bad times, and their community spirit made it a great place to live. Dave made sure the block parties were a success and that the neighborhood was a fun place to be. To honor his commitment to his neighbors, Dave was named “Mayor of Staffordshire” by Mayor Tom Moody. It was a title and honor he valued even after he moved to Delaware. The Masonic Lodge was central to Dave’s life. With the Masons he found a group of men who shared his values and spiritual interests, and because of this he devoted himself to the programs and rites of the Masons. In 1973 he became Master of the New England Masonic Lodge #4. For more than 50 years Dave remained active in the organization. Of Dave’s many interests, boats and cars, especially the restoration of old cars were the most enduring and important. The love of cars took Nancy and him all around the US so that Dave could share his love with other car enthusiasts or locate parts for his many restorations, the most treasured being his red 1951 Chevy pickup truck. His love of family and fun took him to Lake Cumberland nearly every summer where we water-skied, swam, picnicked, and camped. Dave’s favorite place in the world was the Smoky Mountains, in particular Gatlinburg, TN, and our family along with family friends, the Greens, the Watkins, the Dunningtons, and the Schumanns spent many vacations in the area, climbing Clingman’s Dome or examining the items for sale in the local shops, but mostly enjoying the many gifts nature offered. Dave lived a full life. We are and were lucky to have had him in our lives in the many ways he choose to support us: friendly fix-it guy, loyal friend, fun neighbor, committed leader, caring uncle, silly grandfather, and devoted father and husband. Many thanks to the health care workers at Heartland Hospice for providing care and support throughout this difficult time. Commemoration of Life: Services for Dave Thatcher will be held Saturday, July 11, 2020 at the Northwest Masonic Temple, 2436 Dublin-Granville Rd. Linworth Please join us at 1:30 for family visitation. A celebration of Dave's life will begin at 2:00 PM. A light meal and refreshments will be provided immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Dave's memory to Heartland Hospice https://heartlandhospicefund.org/ or the Alzheimer's Assoc. https://alz.org/ Arrangements will be made through the Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home in Worthington, OH.

David "Dave" Thatcher, Sr.

December 30, 1936 - May 22, 2020