David Mendricks

DAVID RONALD MENDRICKS , DECEMBER 17, 1939 - JANUARY 20, 2020

David was the youngest of six children and was born at home Dec. 17 on a cold Michigan evening the week before Christmas of 1939. His mother was very hesitant about allowing him to have his first hair cut because he had such a pretty, curly head of hair, but at about age 3 the locks were cut because as he firmly stated: “I don’t want to look like no girl!’“ When David was in second grade his teacher observed that he seemed to lack energy and spoke to his mother about it. Upon a physical examination, it was discovered he had a heart murmur and, therefore, spent his elementary years at a special school for children with physical challenges. He was a good and thoughtful child and seemed to realize that his mother, as a single working parent, had a busy and stressful life and tried to be helpful and was considerate. By the time he was 17, he became adventurous and upon the invitation of his brother Marv and his wife, he joined them in California, driving from Michigan alone in his, not too trustworthy, coupe. David arrived in the Sacramento, California, area in the summer of 1957 with the intent of becoming gainfully employed to earn the money for his return to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and his mother in time for the start of his Senior year of high school. That didn’t happen to the degree needed to get him home and, therefore, he finished high school in the Sacramento area. He never returned to Michigan to live. After a year with Fuller Brush as a door-to-door Salesman David secured a position as an insurance agent with California State Automobile Association. By this time he was married with his daughter Lisa having been born on November 30, 1964. He adopted his wife Kay’s 5 year old son, Kevin, as well. He worked in the Woodland Office of CSAA and lived in Davis for many years. Kay and David’s marriage ended in divorce and David was promoted to Sales Management. He bought a home in Modesto CA in 1980 and worked in Modesto’s District Office of CSAA as Assistant Manager. In late August of 1985 he was asked by the Manager to conduct an interview with a candidate for an Insurance Sales position who had flown in from Southern CA for the interview (employed by Auto Club Of Southern California). This candidate was the woman who would become David’s wife in September 1988, Peggi (Northington) Mendricks. David was transferred to a Marin County District Office of CSAA in Spring of 1987. In the summer of 1987 he heard that Peggi had been ill and was on disability. So, being the gentleman he was, he made contact with her to find out how she was doing. By October of that year they began dating, got engaged on Valentine’s Day 1988 in Puerto Vallarta where his brother had a summer home, and married in Yosemite on September 25, 1988, where they also honeymooned, backpacking in the high country. In December of 1988 they closed escrow on a home in Santa Rosa where Peggi was born and raised and where her parents still lived. There they lived until January 2005 at which time they sold that home and rented a condo in SR till August 2007. David retired from CSAA in 1998 (after 10 years as Advertising Manager of Approved Accommodations in San Francisco) and Peggi returned to college in 1997 to obtain her Bachelors of Science Degree in Nursing, graduating in 2001. David and she took a vacation to Montana after Peggi’s graduation where David’s Real Estate acumen kicked in and he spotted a 5-acre parcel of land he wanted for he and Peggi to retire to. Escrow was opened on this property before they left to return to CA from their vacationing. David improved the 5 acres and started construction of their home in 2004 to be completed in 2006. During this time Peggi worked as an RN at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Rosa from 2001 to 2007. While working there she was also involved with caring for her grandson while her daughter finished her nursing degree in 2007. It was after that time that David and Peggi moved to their Montana home. David loved his ranch home. He loved the season changes of Montana and he loved the quiet, slower pace of life that living in Montana afforded. He adored “working the land’“ in the spring and summer and enjoyed the snow and cozy days in his “Barn Home’“, as he referred to it, in the winter. He built the home for beautiful views of the Northern Rocky Mountains just minutes away and for watching the various wildlife traveling through their property. From whitetail deer and foxes to Canada Geese, and several species of ducks who enjoyed their 1-acre pond and Cottonwoods that provided them shelter. There were Grizzly Bears and Mountain Lions too, but they were more stealthy. The last summer of David’s life they even opened their fully-appointed guest apartment downstairs to Airbnb guests. They worked hard and thoroughly enjoyed the visitors that came. It was quite a successful venture. The last visitors checked out on September 19, 2019. David was diagnosed with Stage 4 Gallbladder Cancer on October 28, 2019. He didn’t see the point of chemo treatment since he “knew his destination’“ and it wouldn’t have provided a cure or much of an extension of life. He liked to tell people that the diagnosis by the surgeon (he was expecting a gallbladder removal due to gallstones) “didn’t set him back even a thousandth of an inch’“. And it didn’t. He had “...the peace that passes all understanding’“ from the get-go. He had the Joy of his Lord Jesus and was looking forward to being face to face with Him. He was sad at leaving the “love of his life’“ and his daughter and two step-children whom he loved as his own. But he knew he was leaving them in the Good Hands of Jesus. David is predeceased by his son Kevin, brother Marvin, and his beloved mother Ada and father Fred. He is survived by his adoring wife Peggi, daughter Lisa, step-son Jason (Jaime), step-daughter Shawna (Tanya), sister Norma (David, deceased), brother Fred (Dorothy), sister Barbara (Doug, deceased), and sister Delpha (Richard). He is also survived by his 6 grandchildren: Jaylen, Braedon, Ryan, Michaela, Savanna and David. He is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews he was close to and who will miss his wonderful, quirky sense of humor and beautiful smile.Frontier Hospice in Kalispell MT provided wonderful care to David for the last few days of his life. He was also under the kind and watchful eye of Leah Carlburg, MD, Palliative Care Specialist in Kalispell after David’s cancer diagnosis, explaining what to expect going forward every step of the way. A memorial service honoring David’s life will be held at First Baptist Church of Bigfork, 6933 MT Hwy. 35in Bigfork MT this Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 10:00 am with a light lunch to follow. Please come and join my and David’s loved ones, church family and dear friends in celebrating the life of the man that brought us such joy, lots of love and laughter and the integrity of his walk with Jesus while here onearth. RIP my beautiful husband!