David Verne Eagy

David Verne Eagy, 67, went to be with Jesus on July 13, 2018. David was battling pancreatic cancer and was simply unable to keep up what was an extremely brave and valiant fight against the disease. When the Lord called him home he was in the arms of his loving family at his home in Boise, Idaho.

Dave was born on Sep. 10, 1950 in Albany, Oregon to his parents Elmer Verne Eagy and Lillian Katherine Eagy. He grew up with his three siblings in a modest house built by his Father after World War 2. From a young age Dave loved to fish. Whether it was at Waverly Lake, the Calapooia river, or the Willamette river, most days Dave could be found on the banks and in the water, fishing and playing.

Jesus was of the utmost importance to Dave. He was a protestant Christian, loved the Lord, and was a faithful servant. As a young boy he would take his fishing pole and burlap sack and ride his bike down to Waverly lake to fish. He described his fishing experience during that time as unusually successful as he “would catch a fish with every cast”. He would then take the fish he had caught to a widow and pensioner in the town named Chora Southworth. They would sit on her back porch together while she cleaned and filleted the fish he had brought. She always offered to send some home with him, but he always declined, accepting instead a loving hug as payment. Years later Dave learned through her church just how special those moments were. Chora had little money, being that she survived on her late husband’s pension. During the times of being low on money she would pray to the Lord to take care of her. Faithfully, the Lord would send a little red-headed boy named Dave on his bicycle with a sack full of fish to sustain her. Dave was proud and humbled of the fact that the Lord would use him in this way. Dave was a Godly man and used the Lord to guide his life and decisions. The Lord’s love clearly shined through him. He was an active member of the River West Church in Lake Oswego. He was also a contributor and supporter of African New Life Ministries, a Christian organization that provides spiritual, academic, and physical assistance to children in war-torn and impoverished African countries.

Dave was seldom idle. From a young age he was a hard worker, taking early morning busses to work in the bean and berry fields within the Willamette Valley, operating a paper route for the Albany Democrat-Herald, and working as a box boy at Cecil’s IGA store in Albany. As a teenager Dave spent his summers on a large-acreage farm in Reardan Washington, outside of Spokane. It was there, performing the hardest of jobs, that he ultimately learned the value of hard work.

Dave was not only a hard worker, but he was also a natural leader. He had a unique way of communicating, inspiring, and motivating people by using a special combination of wisdom, humility, and humor. Even as a boy in Albany he would start small businesses, often having his schoolmates work for him. On one occasion he started a blackberry business in which he hired his schoolmates to pick blackberries down by the river, then he would sell them to a local merchant. On another occasion he hired his schoolmates to sell popcorn for him at the Albany Timber Carnival. He loved leading, and he loved selling. He was great at identifying business opportunities and bringing people together to accomplish a goal.

Family and career led Dave to Idaho in the 70’s. While in Idaho he worked as a salesman, selling first for Mack Trucks, and later for Western Trailers. He enjoyed the Idaho outdoors by motorcycling, hunting, and fishing. He also spent much time with his beloved Father fishing and enjoying his company. It was there that he married his first wife, adopted her two children, and later had two more children together.

In 1987, after his divorce, Dave moved to Portland, Oregon with his children whom he loved dearly. He was an amazing single Father. His children were always loved, protected, and cared for. Building model rockets, painting finger nails, styling a little girl’s hair, trips to the Oregon Coast, and participating in school contests, were all regular occurrences. In 1991 Dave and his kids made a model replica of the Lewis and Clark Fort Clatsup for a school project. The teacher liked it so much he asked to keep it for future classroom demonstrations. The model is still being used in the classroom today.

Dave’s elderly Mother and a few elderly Aunts lived near the Portland area. In addition to his full-time job and being a single parent, he would spend much of his time taking care of them. Landscaping, home repair, security improvements, or just someone to talk to, he did it all. He never complained about taking care of them. He loved them very much and he was honored to do it.

In 1998, while living in Oregon, Dave was introduced to Lahna who was living in Nevada. Dave and Lahna had never met in person but became pen pals and wrote to each other often. They bonded over their love of the Lord and fell in love with each other through their letters. Within six months of first writing to each other, and with only meeting each other twice, they were married and Lahna moved to Oregon to be with Dave. Dave worked for a refuse and recycling equipment company based out of Portland and Lahna was very involved with the business as well. In 2005 they officially purchased and incorporated the business as PCI Waste and Recycling Equipment. Lahna was named President of the company, and Dave Vice President, to which Dave always was quick to point out to everyone that “she’s the boss”.

A great source of joy for Dave were his grandchildren whom he loved greatly. He setup multiple family vacations, spoke with them on the phone often, and traveled to Idaho to visit them frequently. He mentored them, was a great source of wisdom, and passed down many of his own children’s traditions to them. He was always conscious of their needs and always did what he could to ensure they were met.

Dave was a comedian. Whether it was telling a joke, playing a practical joke, or just using humor to “break the ice”, his sense of humor always brightened those around him.

He was an avid firearm enthusiast. He was a firearm collector, member of the Tri-County Gun Club in Portland, and proudly held an NRA lifetime membership. He was also very passionate about cooking, always noting that if he hadn’t been a salesman, he would likely have been a chef. Anyone that has ever tasted his BBQ can tell you, it was as good as it could get.

Perhaps most of all, Dave had a genuine love of people and he loved to entertain. Whether organizing a family reunion, hosting out of town business partners, taking friends to a new restaurant, or just meeting someone at the grocery store, he truly cared, and it showed. If you were around Dave, and did not know him, you would not be a stranger for long. He talked to everyone, everywhere he went. His ability to remember details about people was uncanny. He would often use humor to strike up a conversation with a stranger, only to find out they had an unlikely connection through someone else he had met previously. He remembered so well because he was truly interested, and he truly cared about them, even if they were a newly met acquaintance.

Dave is survived by his loving wife, Lahna Mae Eagy, of Boise Idaho; his beloved children, Melinda Sue (Dallas) Eagy-Merritt, of Boise, Idaho; Matthew David (Karin) Eagy, of Boise, Idaho; Michael Gregory Eagy, of Middleton, Idaho; Stacie Leann Peterson, of Meridian, Idaho; grandchildren Matthew Dell Eagy, Rachel Sue Eagy, Kayla Mae Eagy, Dallas Eddie Merritt Jr., David Barry Merritt, Stephanie Evelyn Merritt, of Boise, Idaho; Alexi Eagy, Laci Eagy, Lindzey Eagy, Lilly Eagy, of Middleton, Idaho; Aaron Small, Jami Small, Conner Peterson, Oakley Peterson, of Meridian, Idaho; siblings Sharon Kay (Rick) Ernstrom, of San Luis Obispo, California; Evelyn Ann Black, of Albany, Oregon; Gregory Lyle (Stef Ann) Eagy, of Meridian, Idaho; numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday July 27, 2018 at the Cloverdale Funeral Home in Boise, Idaho. A viewing will be held from 3:00pm – 3:45pm, and a service will follow from 4:00pm-5:00pm. He will be interred at Terrace Lawn Memorial Gardens in Meridian, Idaho. All are welcome to join us in saying goodbye to a great man.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.”

John 11:25-26