David B. Haynes (8 May 1944- 30 Jan. 2024)

David B. Haynes, of Ames, IA, died Tuesday, January 30, at age 79 of complications of dementia. In his last weeks of illness, he was accompanied by his three children, Christine (Charlotte, NC), Douglas (Madison, WI), and Ryan (Cedar Falls, IA), his younger brother Thomas and wife Mary (Bloomington, IL), and his wife of 57 and a half years, Marilyn.

David lived out his life along the Midwestern corridor of the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Highway 30) and the Rock Island-Union Pacific Railroad line. Born in Spring Valley, IL, to J. S. (Stillman) Haynes and Dorothy Schlessman Haynes, he grew up in the town of DePue, in a two-story house within blocks of small Lake DePue on one side and a train depot on the other. He would often go down to the depot to watch the trains come through the town, and he also began to collect H & O model trains. Thus began his lifelong interest in railroading: as an adult, he continued to collect model trains; rode on a number of scenic railroads, including the Durango-Silverton line in southwestern Colorado; and (in 2019) enjoyed watching a Union Pacific "Big Boy" locomotive come through Iowa. As a child, David loved exploring the town of DePue with his father, Stillman, and helping his family and neighbors with various projects, including digging the foundation for an addition on the front of his house. In high school, he was the manager of the basketball team and also an Eagle Scout, and he worked part-time delivering milk and assisting a local printer.

Following high school, David decided to pursue an education in business. After a short stint at Midstate College in Peoria, IL, he opted to transfer to Drake University in Des Moines, IA, where he eventually earned a B.S. (while also working and raising his young family) in Business Administration in 1976. While in Des Moines taking classes and working as a salesman for Look magazine, in the summer of 1964 he met the love of his life, Marilyn K. Whitver, of Jefferson, IA, who was home from college in Texas, also taking summer classes. They married on June 11, 1966.

At the time of their wedding in Jefferson, IA, neither David nor Marilyn had a job. But, after a honeymoon in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, they both found work near David's hometown, in LaSalle/Peru, IL. At the same time, David enlisted in the Illinois Army Reserves, serving from 1966 to 1970.

Hired by Sundstrand Corp. (later Sauer-Sundstrand), which in 1971 transferred him to its plant in Ames, IA, David began a long career in manufacturing, first in data processing and then in management. While at Sundstrand in Ames in the 1980s, he was involved in some international technology-sharing projects, which enabled him to visit Poland and Japan. In addition to over 25 years with Sundstrand, including seven as a plant manager in Freeport, IL, David managed factories in Nevada, IA; Marshalltown, IA; and Gothenburg, NE. In a family full of teachers, he prided himself on also being a teacher of sorts, working hard to cultivate the best in his colleagues. His work was defined by his respect for his co-workers. He once told a reporter for the Ames Tribune, "I believe every person is the expert in the job he or she does." In Gothenburg, NE, where he reorganized the assembly line at Baldwin Filters, a manufacturer of air filters for long-distance trucks, he was recognized by a regional development association for outstanding leadership in labor education. In 2011, he and Marilyn retired back to Ames, IA, the place they always felt most at home.

Alongside his work, David was actively engaged in community service. A longtime member of the Rotary organization, he was involved over the years in local campaigns for school bonds; a community advisory board at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames; and in numerous church committees, most recently the finance committee at Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames. Over the years, he and his wife Marilyn hosted foreign exchange students from Austria, Finland, Croatia, France, and Spain, enriching the lives of a number of young people.

A doer, David was always interested in figuring out how things work. He helped design several of the homes in which he and Marilyn lived and relished home improvement projects. He was rarely seen resting. He was an expert car packer, package wrapper, and keeper of family records and finances. But he was also a feminist ahead of his time, more than willing to shop for groceries, fix a meal, and care for his children, as well as tend the yard, shovel the snow, and man the grill. In addition to trains, he loved history and genealogy, and he was fond of the mountains of the West, especially Colorado, which he had visited frequently with his father as a child. Although he could not carry a tune, he loved music, especially Tchaikovsky and the Beach Boys, and he never let his tone-deafness stop him from belting out the hymns in church. Until his last weeks, he enjoyed attending symphonies, band concerts, and other live musical performances with Marilyn.

Although he could sometimes be gruff and generous in his use of "shit" and "goddammit," David at his core was sweet, sensitive, giving, and kind. He always insisted on opening the door for others. Even in memory care and then the hospital, he routinely thanked his caretakers. At Heartwood House in the Northcrest Community in Ames, where he had resided for the last year and a half, his caretakers all said he was a "gentleman."

Above all, what David treasured most was his family. He worked hard and sacrificed much to ensure that his wife was cared for and his three children had good educations and many opportunities for music, sports, and especially travel. Every summer, he would use his limited vacation time (and money) to ensure that his kids saw as much of the country as possible. With Marilyn, he visited 49 of the 50 states. And he funded many international adventures for his wife and three children, even when he was not always able to come along. He taught his children to work hard, serve others, and love with devotion and affection. Excessively proud of his children, he also loved being a grandfather. He was always happy to push a stroller, play in the sandbox, construct Lego buildings, and lay model train tracks with his six grandchildren, Oliver (19), Mila (17), Mikey (16), Simon (16), Iris (8), and Lila (5). Despite his dementia, he still recognized his family. Whenever his wife, Marilyn, entered the room, he would light up and lean in for a kiss, often saying to her, "That's who I want to see" and "You are beautiful." His love for his family and especially his wife sustained him until the end.

David is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his three children, Christine, Douglas, and Ryan; six grandchildren; his older sister, Judy Suarez (Bloomington, IL); and his younger brother, Thomas (Bloomington, IL); his son-in-law Mark Wilson (Charlotte, NC); and his daughter-in-law Renata Solan (Madison, WI).

A memorial service for David is scheduled for Friday, February 16, at 11:00 a.m. at Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames (159 Sheldon Ave., Ames, IA 50014), with a lunch to follow in the fellowship hall.

In lieu of flowers, David's memory may be honored with a donation to the Alzheimer's Assocation (www.alz.org/) or Collegiate Presbyterian Church (www.cpcames.org/).

Online condolences may be directed to www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com