Francis “Dave” Jeffries of Pagosa Springs passed away April 25, 2013, at Pine Ridge Extended Care with his daughters by his side
He was born Dec. 25, 1927, in Nashville, Tenn. He was the youngest of six brothers raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Detroit, Mich. He was very proud to have served in the Army/Air Force from June 1946 to June 1949 as a radio mechanic and operator for the Army Airways Communication Systems. He married in 1952 and lived in Detroit, where he started his family, until 1958 and moved to Santa Clara, Calif.
While in California, he worked for both Lockheed Missile Corporation and FairChild Semiconductor as Research and Metrology Lab Specialist and Laser Beam Developer. In 1965, he returned to Detroit and worked for Ford Motor Company as an instrumentation specialist until his move to Colorado Springs in 1973. In Colorado Springs, he worked at Kaman Sciences, TRW and Digital Equipment Corporation as an expert in electronic and mechanical engineering, which included testing equipment that went into space. He was especially proud of that. His family is also very proud of him and his accomplishments in his life.
In 1997, he moved to Pagosa Springs to be near his daughter, son-in-law and grandson. His interests included music of any kind, playing piano, guitar and harmonica, collecting and restoring classic cars, gardening, camping and being in the mountains. He was always willing to give a lending hand, fix anything or build something. He had a very inquisitive mind and was always researching everything that interested him. He made friends easily, was always on the go and travelled all over the U.S. In his later years, he enjoyed his life in Pagosa Springs, spending time with family and friends, and going to Pagosa Springs Senior Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Eleanor and Carl Jeffries, brothers Carl, Will, Tom and Louis, and son-in-law Darin Rome. He is survived by one brother, Joe Jeffries of Redford, Mich.; three sons, David (Susan) Jeffries of Golden, Colo., Michael (Cindy) Jeffries of Westminster, Colo., and Robert Jeffries of Williston, N.D.; two daughters Karen Gray and Laura Rome both of Pagosa Springs; 10 grandchildren, Gary Gray, Jonathan (Lea) Gray, Sabrina Jeffries, Carlie Jeffries, Bin Bin Jeffries, Nicole (Justin) Vincent, Melissa Jeffries, Amber Jeffries, Rob Jeffries, Damian Rome, and one great-granddaughter, Helen Gray.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, May 4, at 10 a.m. at Pope John Paul II Catholic Church. Memorial contributions can be made to Silver Foxes Senior Center, P.O. Box 1507, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147, or the American Cancer Society, Alzheimer’s Association or the Arthritis Foundation.
