David P. Wigen, known to friends as "Dave," passed away on January 17th, 2019, at the age of 81 years.

He was born in Colfax and raised in Lacrosse where he grew up on a farm as one of 7 siblings.  He lived in Othello most of his adult life where he was committed to his career at Taggares for 47 years. He loved his family, his community, his dogs, sports, cigarettes, gambling, sweets, and the color pink.  He worked hard, played hard, and lived life on his own terms.  He could be described as “rough around the edges”, but genuinely cared about the people around him & developed strong relationships with those in his community, including Coventry House, where he lived most recently.

He will be lovingly remembered by his adopted daughter, Miciah and her husband Tony, his step daughter Ronda and her husband Steve, his unofficially adopted daughter Jessie, granddaughter Windy and her significant other Chris, great-granddaughter Adriann, his sister Harriet, and brothers Kermit, Marvin, and Jurgen. His friends played an important role in his life as well and were considered family to him. He was preceded in death by his wife, Cora, stepchildren Gillie and Traci, and grandchild Levi as well as his parents Edna & Peter, his sister Dianne and brother Bob.

Following his wishes, there will not be a funeral service & the family will celebrate his life with a small private gathering. Please honor him with a visit to the nearest casino, a cigarette, a stiff drink, an inappropriate joke, or by rooting on his favorite Washington State sports teams; the Cougs, Zags, Mariners, or Seahawks. You can also learn more about Dave and show your support by visiting this website and leaving a comment or sharing a picture or story.  https://www.forevermissed.com/david-wigen. 

Dave was born in Colfax Washington and raised on the family farm in Lacrosse by his loving parents, Edna and Peter Wigen.  He was the 2nd oldest of 7 siblings, Dianne, Bob, Harriet, Jurgen, Marvin, and Kermit.  The family attended Selbu Lutheran Church where all the kids were confirmed.   He is remembered as a wonderful brother.  He attended Lacrosse High School where he was a good athlete & is remembered for his love of cars, sports, good looks, & charisma.  

He spent two years at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma Washington before returning to Eastern Washington to work for Mill Aviation in Lacrosses/Royal City where he soon connected with Pete Taggares which moved him to Othello and the next chapter of his life.   

Dave worked for P.J. Taggere Company for 47 years, starting in 1964 and retiring in 2011. Pete, Janet, Susan, Tom, Jeff, and the rest of his coworkers were like family to him.  

Dave met Cora at Freddy's, a local hotspot in Othello at the time, where Cora was a cocktail waitress.  He said she was the prettiest woman in Othello & they were quickly married.  He was about six years younger than Cora and became the stepfather to her three children, Gillie, Ronda, and Traci. 

They moved to Pullman for about a year as a family and then moved back to Othello where he remained for the rest of his life.  Dave & Cora enjoyed music, bowling, gambling, camping, fishing, and traveling together.   They were also known to enjoy a good party (sometimes too much), entertain guests, and welcome people into their home. 

Jessie is one person who was forever changed by their welcoming nature.  Dave considered her a daughter and she wrote the following: 

There were many fun days had at Papa Dave and Gramma Cora's house Barbecuing, hot tubbing, playing in the pool, watching sports, or just hanging out.    It may have been the family nature or his inability to say no, but Dave also had a soft spot for pets & a visit to the house would make that obvious.  Over the years, there were gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, fish, birds, as well as many cats and dogs.  He especially loved his dogs; KC, Keisha, Blaze, Missy, Queen, and King, to name a few. 

Most recently, he developed relationships with Miciah's husband Tony, his great grand daughter Adriann, and Windy's significant other, Chris. 

Dave battled & beat advanced small cell lung cancer and lived almost ten years past the doctors predictions, cancer free.  However, it definitely left its mark on his health and so he decided to retire in 2011 when he moved into Coventry House Assisted Living in Othello.  He grew to love it there despite his reservations at first.  He lived there until his death in 2019 & developed strong relationships with many people.  He will be remembered for always having a plentiful supply of candy, cookies, and sweets that he was happy to share.  Thanks to Yehu for the weekly trips to Walmart.  He was also well known for reading the paper each morning, talking sports, having the loudest TV, playing music, and requesting the hottest coffee.  

Miciah & Tony moved to Othello to be closer to him from 2011 to 2014 and he enjoyed their regular visits, talking sports with Tony, trips to the casino, and lunches at Checo's.