DAVID BEST OBITUARY

After a hard-fought battle with cancer, David Lee Best of Greeley passed away on December 22, 2022. Dave was born on July 18, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas to Howard and Ruby (Wikoff) Best where he joined older siblings Raymond and Ruth. The family moved to Colorado Springs in 1946. Dave attended Palmer High School and excelled in both academics and athletics. Dave was an accomplished athlete in baseball, football, and wrestling. Many wonderful times were shared with his friends climbing and bouldering in the Garden of the Gods Park. After High School, Dave received a congressional appointment to the Naval Academy, but chose to attend the University of Northern Colorado instead. At UNC, Dave was a member and past president of the Alpha Kappa Lambda fraternity. Dave graduated in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in education. Dave returned to Colorado Springs to teach math at Harrison High School and coached the football, baseball, and wrestling teams. Dave served in the National Guard and was honorably discharged following his service. Dave met and fell in love with fellow teacher Patricia Anne Jones, and they were married on June 22, 1966. Dave and Patricia became the proud parents of three children, Teresa, Stacey, and Mark. In 1974, Dave and Patricia moved to Greeley to work for the family business, The Jones Co. Dave managed various departments and locations of the Jones Co. until 1986. Dave enjoyed being part of the Greeley community and gave back in many ways. Dave served as President of the Greeley Downtowners Association, as a deacon for the First Congregational Church, and was a member of Centennial Rotary. Dave returned to teaching in 1990 and discovered a passion for working with disadvantaged students. In his free time, Dave loved to visit the mountains and go fly fishing. Dave retired in 2008 as the Vice Principal at Lookout Mountain Youth Detention facility. In retirement, Dave found a passion for playing golf and served on the board of the Greeley Men's league. When the weather wasn't conducive to golf, you could find Dave doing puzzles and spending time with his family. Dave spent many hours watching his granddaughter's activities and could be seen cheering loudly at band concerts, cheerleading performances, and volleyball games. Dave was a proud Republican, a Colorado Rockies fan, and a Denver Broncos fan. Dave is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Patricia (Jones) Best; daughters Teresa Best and Stacey (Best) Aurzada, both of Greeley; son Mark Best of Highlands Ranch; granddaughters Abigail Aurzada and Ella Aurzada, both of Greeley; brother-in-law Ken Roady of Sun City West, AZ; and sister-in-law Nikki Best of Colorado Springs. Dave is also survived by his loving nephews and nieces. Dave was preceded in death by his father Howard Best, mother Ruby Best, brother Raymond Best, sister Ruth (Best) Covington, father-in-law Harold Jones, mother-in-law Gladys Jones, sister-in-law Barbara (Jones) Peercy, sister-in-law Kathryn (Jones) Roady, and nephew Joseph Covington. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Tunnel to Towers foundation, or to the First Congregational Church in Greeley. A memorial service is being planned for a later date. Details will be forthcoming.

Published by Greeley Tribune on Jan. 1, 2023.