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Colonel David L. "Dave" Thurston
November 29, 1945 - December 22, 2018
Service Date: January 5, 2019
Colonel David L. “Dave” Thurston, died peacefully on December 22, 2018, at the age of 73, following a lengthy battle with blood cancers.
Over Dave’s 41-year Air Force career, he engaged in structural battle damage repair on fighter aircraft, acted as an intercontinental ballistic missile crew commander, worked nuclear intelligence and space program surveillance, served as a space shuttle launch team member, and worked as a public affairs officer for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree from Webster University and National Defense University.
He was preceded in death by his:
- Parents: Lawrence and JoAnn, nee Reynolds, Thurston
Dave is survived by his beloved:
- Wife of 51 years: Kathy
- Daughter Kelley (Jack) Hartnett of Lake St. Louis, MO
- Granddaughters
- Emily: a graduate student at St. Louis University
- Bekah: a commercial music major at Millikin University, Decatur, IL
He is also survived by:
- Three brothers
- John (Liz) of Lakeland, FL
- Dale of Bradford, PA
- Larry of Salamanca, NY
- Nieces and nephews and their families
- Beloved terriers: Ozzie and Duncan
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Journey Church (Freeburg, IL), Operation Homefront, Siteman Cancer Center, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Funeral: A Memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2018 at 10:00 am at Journey Church, Freeburg, IL with Pastor Jay Krumeich officiating. Private Interment will be held at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington,Virginia.