August 21, 1949 - July 24, 2023 Share your Memorial with Family & Friends David Stephens, or Dave as he was known to his family and friends, was born in Salem, Oregon on August 21st 1949. He grew up as the eldest brother to Kathy and Rocky, and was an accomplished athlete as a boy and young man. He attended the University of Oregon on a track and field scholarship, but transferred to the Oregon College of Education, which is now Western Oregon University, to compete as a decathlete. He placed 4th in the 1971 NAIA National Decathlon and his point total of 7,215 still stands as the 3rd highest total in Western Oregon University’s history. After graduating from OCE, Dave attended and graduated from Oregon’s Police Academy and was hired as a probation officer for Yamhill county. He then went on to serve with Multnomah county in a variety of roles. He met Katherine Gallagher while working in the Portland metro area in 1982, and the two married in 1985. Dave became a stepdad to Katherine’s two sons, Austen and Andrew, and remained deeply involved in both of their lives after separating from Katherine in 1990. Dave met the love of his life, Dawn Bergstrom, while acting as a court guard in August of 1996. Dawn and Dave were married on June 4th, 1998 and spent the next 25 years travelling the world, as well as raising several dogs, attending countless University of Oregon sporting events and visiting family and friends at every opportunity. Dave passed away on Monday, July 24th 2023 in the company of his family. He is survived by his wife Dawn, his sister Kathy, his brother Rocky, his sons Austin and Andrew, as well as several nieces and nephews and his and Dawn’s beloved dog, Henley. Dave was many things to many people. A husband. A father. A brother. An Uncle. A teammate. A coworker. A friend. Despite all these roles, he was never defined by just one. Above all else, he was whoever we needed him to be. His love, though sometimes quiet, never needed to be loud because it was felt; through his smiles, his nods, and his hugs, which were never too tight (for all our sakes, because lord knows he was capable of going much tighter). Dave’s presence made you feel like you were exactly where you needed to be, and he was always happy to be there with you. The enormous grief we feel with Dave’s passing is a testament to the person he was and the person he always will be: a man who shared his love selflessly with as many of us as he could. He lives on in our hearts and memories, and the warmth he brought to this world will never fade. Dave’s Celebration of Life will be held Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 12:00pm at McMenamins Kennedy School, 5736 N.E.33rd Ave., Portland, OR 97211, (503)249-3983. More details about the location can be found at mcmenamins.com/kennedy-school. Hotel rooms are available on site for those who wish to stay. If you plan on doing so, please make your reservations now. We request that attendees dress in casual clothing that reminds them of Dave (brewery T-Shirts, sports T-Shirts). Light hors d’oeuvres will be served and a no host bar and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. David Stephens
David “Dave” Stephens
August 21, 1949 – July 24, 2023
