David Duane Fagerland died peacefully at home, at the age of 82, on November 14, 2020,surrounded with love from his family. David was a beloved husband, father and grandfather. On the day of his passing, he exclaimed he was a “lucky man”. We take comfort in knowing that he was ready to part with this world and join his son and parents.
David was born in Eleva, Wisconsin on December 28, 1937, and was the only child of May and Ernie Fagerland. He grew up in Waukesha, Wisconsin, then graduated from The University of Wisconsin in 1961 with dual degrees in Business Statistics and Naval Science. Those were a raucous four years, with many stories of his experiences and antics as a brother in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. During this time, he also was an active member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, for which he received a full academic scholarship.
After graduating college, David served in the Navy as a fighter pilot for four years. He trained in Pensacola, Florida and was eventually based in Coronado, California with the VU7 Squadron. While in the Navy, he had the pleasure of flying many jets, with the F8 Crusader being his favorite.
In 1966, David had the good fortune of turning his love of flying into a career. He was hired by Pan Am and flew worldwide for them. He was initially based in San Francisco and eventually landed in Seattle, where he wanted to raise his family. Settling on Mercer Island in 1974, this became his life-long home. His love of Seattle, and desire to keep three teenagers grounded in one community, meant commutes to Berlin and New York when the Seattle base closed. During this time, he was also very active in the Airline Pilots Association, representing the Seattle base of ALPA. His heart was true to Pan American, but following United’s purchase of Pan Am’s Pacific routes, he completed his distinguished career flying DC10’s for United. His work had him traveling to just about every location around the globe, however it was well known he was happiest at home with his wife, Joyce, and his kids.
After retiring, David found new hobbies. As an avid fly fisherman, he made yearly pilgrimages to New Zealand, where the fish tales are quite impressive. He had a wonderful group of friends there, who also shared his love and talent for the sport. David was a proud member of Mensa. As a member, he created and published his version of Cryptic Crosswords puzzles for many years in the Seattle Mensa newsletter. He was also a judge for Mensa’s Scholarship essay program.
David was smart, funny, creative and fiercely patriotic. He loved a clever play on words and had an extraordinary talent for crossword puzzles and word games. His debate team skills never left him, and he always enjoyed discussing politics or world events. He was sharp and witty to the end.
David is preceded in death by his son, Kent Fagerland. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Joyce (Norquist) Fagerland, two daughters Juli Riva (Blake) and Lisa Parish, four granddaughters Rachel Riva, Nicole Riva, Olivia Parish and Mia Parish, former wife Greta Levinson and a daughter-in-law, Amelia Watson.