David Bliss Vogeler died peacefully at his Vancouver home on the morning of February 3, 2018. He was 91 years old. David is remembered as a man of personal integrity, deep commitment to family, and kindness. A product of the Great Depression, he believed in conservative politics, the value of hard work, saving money, and his duty to provide for his family.
He was born in Tacoma, Washington, on January 18, 1927 to Gustave O. Vogeler and Helen M. (Walker) Vogeler. David was the youngest of three siblings, with a brother Robert G. Vogeler and sister Mary Virginia Vogeler. The family lived in Tacoma where David attended Grant Grade School and Jason Lee Junior High, and graduated from Stadium High School. David often spoke fondly of spending childhood summers at his sister’s home on Fox Island, where his love of animals, saltwater, and boats was kindled.
At the age of 18, he patriotically enlisted in the U.S. Navy Reserve. As a Machinist’s Mate, he spent 14 months aboard the destroyer U.S.S. Willard Keith with duty in the Western Pacific and Japan near the end of World War II. Upon honorable discharge, he enrolled at the College of Puget Sound and finished his Bachelor’s Degree in Business at the University of Washington in March 1951. He also earned his private pilot’s license and was an apprentice machinist.
David was recruited in August 1951 by the General Adjustment Bureau, a large insurance adjusting firm. He worked 42 years for the company in various locations and positions until his retirement in 1993. In his later career, he specialized in arson investigations and aircraft losses as a Regional General Adjuster covering much of the Western U.S.
He met the love of his life, Mary Ellen Davidson, while they were attending an office party in Aberdeen, Washington in 1951. David was transferred to Utah in 1954, but when he returned to Washington in the summer of 1960, they resumed their courtship and were married in January 1961. They moved to Eugene, Oregon, where they had two children, Tyson James Vogeler (1963) and Martha Lynn Vogeler (1965). The family moved to Vancouver in 1968; David and Mary Ellen lived in the same Vancouver home for 49 years.
In his retirement, David became interested in wood turning, and he began building intricate segmented wooden bowls. He loved to read, listen to music, walk with his beagle Daisy, and research the Vogeler family genealogy. He also worked with his son Tyson to build a home in Grays River, and he traveled extensively with his wife in their motor home.
He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. He was preceded in death by both his brother and sister.
At David’s request, there will not be a memorial service. He asked to be cremated and his ashes spread at a place special to him.
The family invites donations in his memory to Friends of the Carpenter, 1600 W. 20th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98660.
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