David Leon Molesh passed away Jan 10th, 2026 after a long and courageous battle with ALS.  He was born the first of four children on November 16th 1943, in Grand Rapids Michigan to parents Dorothy and George Molesh.  He and his sisters Sherry and April grew up in the nearby small town of Greenville MI.  He often spoke of an idyllic 40s/50s childhood of neighborhood playmates and friends, Saturday matinees, sledding, snow forts and snowball fights in winter, a paper route, mowing lawns and generally just being a kid.  He spent summers with the family, vacationing at the beloved Big Blue Lake.  Every other year the family traveled west to Ferndale Washinton to visit his grandparents with stops in Glacier and Yellowstone NPs along the way.  In high school he received decent grades, participated in choir and jazz choir and competed in three sports - baseball, football, and track.

Upon his graduation in 1961, he attended Western Washington University in Bellingham WA and later Skagit Valley Community College.  At Western and Skagit, he pursued an English degree while also playing baseball and football.  He spent a summer working at Glacier NP where he started out washing dishes at Many Glaciers Lodge, but when a singer didn't show up in the lounge, he stepped in and enjoyed that job throughout that summer.

In 1964, he joined the Forest Service Job Corps in Randle WA as a youth leader, where he led trail crews in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  It was here in 1966 that he met an office worker who became the love of his life, Donna Blakley.  A whirlwind courtship and a short engagement later, they were married in Packwood WA on April 22, 1967.  In 1968 they welcomed son David to the family and in 1976 they welcomed daughter Melissa as well.

Dave loved sports, family and the great outdoors.  He was an avid golfer, fisherman and hunter who had many an adventure with family and friends pursuing fish and game throughout Washington State.  He also loved camping and took the family on an almost yearly trip to the Chewuck River outside of Winthrop WA. There they enjoyed the warm and rain free weather, fishing and campfires full of storytelling and watching shooting stars.  Dave and Donna loved to garden together and took pride in maintaining extensive vegetable and flower gardens in every house they lived in.  They enjoyed travelling and had many adventures road tripping and camping throughout the US.  They also took trips to Mexico, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Hawaii and Fiji.

Dave spent his working years logging countless miles as a travelling sale rep in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.  He applied his gift of gab and charm to being a sales representative for about everything - medical equipment/supplies, veterinary equipment/supplies, toys, puzzles, games, wine and baseball cards.

In 2010 they retired to Dayton WA.  It was in Dayton, that when not gardening, keeping deer out of his garden, reading, or taking extensive daily walks around town, he became involved with the Liberty Theater. The theater rekindled his passion to perform for an audience.  Dave performed in many musicals, plays and variety shows and involved Donna as well behind the scenes modifying or sewing full costumes.  The connection and love of this extended theater family and community, rounded out a full retirement.

Dave leaves behind his beloved wife Donna, brother Jeff, daughter Melissa, son David (Kathy) and grandsons Kale, Bryce, Blake, Dakota and Patrick, nieces and many nephews.  He is preceded in death by his parents George and Dorothy, sister Sherry and nephew TJ.  The family asks that all remembrances be donated to the Liberty Theater in Dayton WA.