Birth date: Oct 24, 1937 Death date: Jul 25, 2022
To view a livestream of David's service, click here: youtu.be/t5eOzA4VcUo David Topel, age 84, died on July 25, 2022 at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, Iowa after a productive and rewarding life. Visitation will be Wednesday, Read Obituary
Dear Dr. Jay line Jane,
I am truly sorry to hear the news of your husband‘s Dr David Topel passing. I reminisce with my memories during one year studying in Iowa State University in Ames. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Sayuri Akuzawa, Japan
Dear Jay lin,
We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news received from\u3000you this morning. We cannot believe his passing even now. Please accept our sincere condolences on the passing of David. We did not know he had been in such a heavy illness.
He was such a nice person. I was privilege to have had the opportunity to work with him when I planned the research collaboration between ISU and the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on hog ES cell project. David represented ISU\u3000as a Dean of College of Agriculture and we had often discussed in detail of the project. He was always an excellent counterpart.
Since you married with David, he became a member of our starch research family.
We do not know what to say to sympathize your loss. We will miss him very much. We just wanted to let you know that our thoughts are with you.
In deepest sympathy,
Keiji, Michiko, Mami and Emi Kainuma
Tsukuba ,Japan
Dear Jay-Lin,
A was very sorry to learn about the loss of your husband David. You have my condolences and I will keep you in my prayers.
Sincerely,
Bill Colonna
It is with great sadness we learned David’s passing. We regret that we did meet him only when we moved nextdoor to you. From the very first day, he impressed us with his soft spoken, polite, and gentle manners. Indeed he was a true gentleman, a rare quality to find these days. He was always helpful and with an immense knowledge and experience. In fact, we thought he was a walking encyclopedia. After leaving Ames we felt his absence more deeply. David’s departure will long be felt by his colleagues, friends and the community at large, certainly we are. Rest In Peace David. We share and feel your loss Jay-Lin.
Jay-Lin, I am so sorry for your loss. Like everyone, I admired him greatly.
Martha James
My sympathies Dave's family and friends. I had the pleasure of getting to know Dave thru my work with IPA/IEC. Always a very kind man who would make the time for a meaningful visit. I always appreciated his thoughtfulness. He accomplished much for Iowa State during his distinguished career. Glad to have crossed the paths of life with him.
I wish to extend my heartfelt condolences on the untimely death of your husband Dr David Topel. I shall never forget the great times I shared with David during my one year stay in Ames. He will always be in my heart and memory.
Dave, thanks for the more than 50 years of friendship beginning as graduate students at Michigan State University and continuing through our many interactions at Iowa State University. Thanks for all the memories! I will miss you.
Don Beitz
It is with great sadness and fond memories that I received the news of Dave Topel's passing. I am fortunate to have had the chance to have interacted with Dean Topel in so many different ways over the years. It started when I came to ISU for grad school in 1972. Although majoring in Animal Breeding he knew of my experience in Meats Judging and asked me to assist Dennis Dewitt in coaching the Meats Team, a great experience. I then continued coaching the team for the next two year with much success. He also served on my MS and PhD advisory committees. Dave was a great proponent of the Meat Animal Evaluation Contest at Aksarben, and I worked with him in this contest while at ISU and when I went to UWRF. In 1979 Dave took a job at Auburn and I took a job at University of Georgia. While there, I worked with Dave (and Dennis Marple) to start the first Academic Quadrathon for the SE section of ASAS. And in 2000 he called and asked me to apply for the Director of the IPIC at ISU, and hired me as well. It was great working with him at ISU as Director, Faculty member and as a colleague. One highlight was the opportunity to put together the educational program for the 2005 Ensminger School in China that he coordinated. After he retired, I had the chance to bring numerous international groups out to his house for a social, as he and Jay-Lin were perfect hosts. Not many faculty can excel at teaching, research, industry, and administration, but Dave Topel was a success at each. While Dean Topel may have passed, his influence on ISU and animal agriculture will last forever.
Greg and I extend our sympathy to Jay-Lin and the rest of Dave's family. I will always remember Dave -- in addition to him being an outstanding researcher, teacher and administrator -- as a real "people person" . He was a strong ambassador for Iowa State. On a trip to China, he remembered my research and connected a potential graduate student with me. She became an outstanding Ph.D. student and continues to make excellent contributions to biomedical research, because Dave took the time and effort to make a connection.
Sue Lamont
