David Francis Gudgel

David (Dave) Francis Gudgel passed away on July 7, 2024, at Seven Lakes Memory Care in Loveland, Colorado, at the age of 85. He was the eldest child of Francis and Helen Gudgel, born on August 17, 1938, in Ainsworth, Nebraska.

Dave grew up with two brothers and sister on their family ranch in Cherry County, south of Wood Lake, where he attended one-room schools through the eighth grade. He continued his education while boarding in Ainsworth for high school before pursuing further studies at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, and obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Dave began his career as a hydrologic engineer by working summers with the Bureau of Reclamation while in college. He later served in the United States Army Critical Skills Program before returning to the Bureau of Reclamation in Denver, Colorado. His career took him to numerous locations, starting with Denver, Washington, D.C., Boulder City, Nevada, and Yuma, Arizona.

During that time, Dave contributed significantly to the management of water resources on the Colorado River and delivery of water to Mexico. He also participated in overseas assignments in Saudi Arabia and the Cape Verde Islands. In Yuma, Arizona, he oversaw the completion of the Yuma Desalting Plant, one of the largest reverse osmosis desalinization plants in the United States.

In 1995, Dave retired from the Bureau of Reclamation and relocated to Tucson, Arizona, where he lived until moving to Loveland, Colorado in 2007. There, Dave and his wife enjoyed traveling and pursuing genealogical research on their families.

Dave is survived by his wife, Grace, two sons, Scott and Todd (Katherine Blackmore); his siblings, Willard (Judy), Duane (Darlene) and Linda (Dave), as well as nieces and nephews.

Inurnment will be 10 AM Friday, August 23, 2024 at Mountain View Memorial Park, Boulder, Colorado.