David L Blevins

A generous, driven, and dedicated man, David Blevins lived his life with passion. Always equipped with quick humor to lighten the mood, an ability to empathize with others and a hearty sense of adventure, David lived his life to the fullest. He fought a courageous battle against pancreatic cancer for more than four years, never wavering from his faith or the support of his friends and family. Although he will be deeply missed, David leaves behind a wonderful collection of memories for his loved one to cherish for years to come.

The 1960’s were characterized by great social changes. Known as the era of optimism, many Americans believed they were standing at the dawn of a golden age. At the beginning of this promising decade in our nation’s history, David’s loving family welcomed home their newborn son on January 29, 1961, in Troy, Ohio. His birth gave them much hope and happiness.

Growing up as a youngster, David lived a typical childhood of the times. He loved to play baseball, tennis, and bowling with his childhood buddy, Michael as well as get into the usual mischief expected of boys his age. Close to his siblings, Darl and Roxana, David shared many memorable moments with the two of them. He also enjoyed completing puzzles with his Grandma Rose who had formed a special relationship with him. An animal lover as a child, David adored his pet cat, Heide, and dog, Soxs. He and his close friend, Jeff both worked at the local Tastee Freez, a popular hang out with the teenage crowd. After high school, David was accepted to Ohio State University where he earned both a Bachelor's and Master’s Degree in Engineering. College proved to have its unique challenges yet he made everlasting friends in Dave and Denis who helped him balance fun with his rigorous course of studies. Soon after completing his education, David went on to work as a Metallurgical engineer at USX in Monroeville, Pennsylvania.

Not to be forgotten however was the meeting of the woman of his dreams, Carol! The two of them met on a blind date with college friends and hit it off right from the start. Not wasting any time, the happy couple married on September 10, 1988, at St. John's Catholic Church in Maria Stein, Ohio. Both were eager to start a family of their own and went on to have five wonderful children; David Daniel, John, Therese, Paul, and Dominic. A wonderful provider over the years, he continued his work as an engineer with Armco in Eaton, Ohio and later with GST in Kansas City, Kansas, and finally at SDI in Butler, Indiana where he remained for the longest length of time. SDI was where he made his closest work friends with Jeff and Dave! They shared many special memories together and supported one another through many of life’s trials and tribulations.

In addition to being a hard worker and a supportive father, David held many special interests. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus as well as the Buckeye Club. An avid Buckeye fan, he loved to catch as many football games as possible during the season. He was a lover of cars and enjoyed tooling around in his Red Mustang! For relaxation, he enjoyed watching science fiction on television as well as Marvel and the popular, Big Bang Theory. He enjoyed traveling over the years including a trip to Colorado, Arizona, Montana, and Florida. Once while white water rafting in Colorado, David jumped in for a swim and the guide got a leg cramp which made it nearly impossible to get David back into the raft! His longtime friend, Jeff got him back in the raft! David always laughed when sharing this story as most would find it an unlikely possibility on such a trip, however with David anything was possible! He also enjoyed going Jeeping in the mountains, ice skating, and visiting area water parks. David also treasured traveling to see his special friends, Father Mac and Father Rookie. Nothing brought him greater joy than being around friends and family.

Not only did David enjoy the company of others, he also enjoyed the company of his many animals over the years. His pet cats; Pawsie, Arsinoe, Bear, Bonnie, and Sparkles and dogs; Victoria and Cosmo gave him so much joy and comfort. Throughout his fight with cancer and his many treatments, he found companionship with each and every one of them. David’s cancer led him on a journey to Zion, Illinois where he did chemotherapy at CTCA for a year before exploring Johns Hopkins for an immunotherapy trial and continuing at OSU before qualifying for the Keytruda trial. His battle was valiant and brave. In the essence of David who always put others before himself, he selflessly wanted to support those who might come after him by choosing even after death to have his body undergo a postmortem trial. Described as honorable, intelligent, and caring, David will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

David Lester Blevins, 57, of Auburn, died Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at Parkview Hospital Randallia, Fort Wayne. Survivors include his loving wife, Carol Blevins of Auburn; daughter and son-in-law, Therese (Ben) Schafer of Auburn; sons, John, Paul, and Dominic Blevins all of Auburn; brother and sister-in-law, Darl (Sonia) Blevins of Piqua, Ohio; sister, Roxana Pope of Troy, Ohio. He was preceded in death by a son, David Daniel Blevins; mother, Darleen Blevins. A Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 am with visitation one hour prior Saturday, March 17, 2018, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church 500 E. Seventh Street, Auburn. Rev. Timothy Wrozek will be officiating. Burial will be in Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery. A reception will follow the burial in the fellowship hall of the church. Memorial donations may be made to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church or Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

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