David Sowell Irwin
1936-2020
David Sowell Irwin died on July 5, 2020 in Roseville, California.
He was a wonderful husband and loving father, an insightful man who touched the lives of those around him, and a man who pursued a relationship with God, through Jesus, and served Him as an Elder and Bible study leader in California, North Carolina and Colorado.
Dave was born in Denver, Colorado on July 3, 1936 to Lucille Elizabeth Sowell Irwin and Seth Thomas Irwin, a descendant of the Irvings of Bonshaw Tower, Dumfriesshire, Scotland. He attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he met the love of his life, Elizabeth (Betsy) Longwell Baker. They married on August 28, 1960, raising a family as they moved between Colorado, California and Belgium.
Trained as a chemical engineer, Dave was admired by his coworkers for both his business acumen and care for people at his workplace. He rose through management throughout his career, working at companies including Dow Chemical, Memorex, and Raychem, where he was Plant Manager until his retirement.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, daughter Joy Elizabeth Hitchcock and son-in-law Randy Hitchcock, son Kent David Irwin and daughter-in-law Joanne Irwin, and five grandchildren: Cooper and Chad Hitchcock and Luke, Josiah, and Trinity Irwin.
Dave was never content with a surface understanding of anything he pursued. He was a voracious reader of history, with a passionate interest in what makes people and societies work. But that interest was never purely academic and he impacted the lives of people he supported and cared for through adult reading programs, foster child support and the ability to connect quickly and at a meaningful level with those who crossed his path. He will be remembered for his sincere interest in the lives of others, for his wisdom, for his competitive banter during family game night, for his wonderful dry humor (and seriousness), and for his unfailing integrity. He followed God.
David S. Irwin
- Born July 3rd, 1936 in Denver, Colorado
- Married Aug. 28, 1960
- Died July 5th, 2020 in Roseville, California
