David Craig Reppe

David Craig Reppe, age 65, of Touchet, WA, passed away March 26, 2013, at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle after a courageous battle (and victory) over cancer.

Dave was born June 28, 1947, in Klamath Falls, Oregon to Chester and Elaine Cummins Reppe. He attended school there graduating in 1965, from Henley High School, where he participated in band and wrestling. Dave had a lifelong passion for agriculture, starting as a 4H youth in the 4th grade with sheep and dairy cows, working as a box boy at a local grocery store to pay for grain and hay for his animals. He attended Oregon State University in Corvalis where he was a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

On March 18, 1972, Dave married Sandra MacDougall Hanson in Walla Walla. They moved to Touchet in 1976, where they raised two sons, Douglas and Darin. After farming for a number of years in the Touchet area, he later went to work for the Postal Service, working as a rural carrier out of Walla Walla until retiring in 2010.

Dave served as President of the Touchet Educational Foundation and also was a member of the District 4 Washington State Rural Letter Carriers Association. He and his wife enjoyed traveling to many National Convention sites throughout the Country, as well as, a number of casinos throughout the Northwest. He was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed following the Oregon State Beavers, Seattle Mariners, and the Touchet Indians. The ever supportive father, he took tremendous pride in following both of his sons in athletics, first as players, and later, as coaches. He was an annual supporter of the 4H and FFA Livestock Sale at the Walla Walla Fair. Dave was especially fond of gardening and his flowers and vegetables were always tops.

In 2012, he surprised his wife with a 40th anniversary celebration and then in May, they were surprised with their induction into the Touchet Hall of Fame at Touchet’s annual May Day Festival. In July, he proudly served as best man at his son, Darin’s wedding.
After many years of treatment for leukemia, Dave and Sandy headed to Seattle to begin the process for bone marrow transplant in August 2012. The consummate gambler was willing to try the unproven trial drugs in an effort to beat the disease and on March 14th we received the news that Dave had beat cancer. The labs reported zero cancer cells. Unfortunately, the process had left Dave susceptible to infection, and he passed away of organ failure after 52 days post-transplant.

He is survived by his wife, Sandy, at their home in Touchet; sons, Doug (Daronna) of Kennewick and Darin (Yvonne) of Davenport; grandsons, Trey and Tye of Kennewick and Michael and Ryan of Key West, FL and Spokane; sisters, Marlys (Allen) Hobson of Roseburg, OR, and Maralee (Jeff) Lawson of Hillsboro, OR, and numerous very special nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents.

The graveside service will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2013, at 11:00 am at Blue Mountain Memorial Gardens in College Place, WA. A celebration of life potluck luncheon will follow at 1 pm at the Touchet Gardena Lions Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Touchet Educational Foundation to further support the graduates of Touchet through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder, Walla Walla, WA.