David Holbrook

David Wiley Holbrook, age 62, Yuma, AZ. Died on May 3, 2018 after a long and difficult illness David W. Holbrook departed this life on May 3, 2018, is now at peace and continuing his journey in the bosom of the Lord. David Wiley Holbrook was born on January 24, 1956, in Kalamazoo, Michigan to Wiley T. and Juanita V. (Conn) Holbrook. He was the youngest of four children is preceded in death by his parents, sister Carol, and his beloved wife, Mary. David grew up on a small farm between Galesburg and Comstock, MI, he warmly remembered early memories of building a fence and a barn on the farm, driving a sleigh with his ponies, and playing "Cowboys and Cowgirls" with his childhood neighbors Sherry Carpenter and Barbie Veter. His affection for animals stems from feeding livestock and having a barn full of cats, and a two-year-old mare named Babe that his father bought him. She was 1/2 Tennessee Walker and 1/2 quarter horse, and a natural cutting horse. He relished his Huck Finn childhood existence, roaming the woods with his BB gun and his dogs. When he was 11 or 12 years old, he read "Final Verdict" by Adela Rogers St. Johns. After David read the book and its biography, which spoke of the author's father, the noted defense attorney Earle Rogers, David decided to become a lawyer. After his freshman year in high school, his father retired, and the family returned to his parents' native home in rural Illinois, outside of Brownsville. In 1974, David graduated from Carmi Community High School as an Illinois State Scholar and a Cadet Major in the Civil Air Patrol. He attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and graduated Summa Cum Laude in Political Science and Political History in 1977. He then applied and was accepted for admission to the University Of Utah College Of Law in Salt Lake City, Utah, and graduated with his Juris Doctor degree in 1980. Ever the patriotic American, David served three years on active duty as a Captain with the Air Force Jude Advocate General's Corps (1989-1992) with duty at the 90th Strategic Missile Wing, Strategic Air Command, at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. After his tour of duty, he remained in Wyoming as a public servant, working within its court system. It was here, in Wyoming, that he met the love and joy of his life, his beloved bride of 22 years, the former Mary Allice Schenk, who preceded him to the arms of the Lord in December 2016. He then continued his distinguished civil service career by serving as a civilian attorney with the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps family for over 24 years, to include serving as the Environmental Counsel at Fort Irwin, California and Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and culminating his outstanding career with his retirement in November 2014 from his Attorney-Advisor position of 16 years (1998-2014) with the Office of the Command Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, AZ. David's hobbies included books, as he had a voracious appetite for reading, firearms and firearm reloading, Western Americana, and pampering his devoted sidekick tomcat, Wampus the Cat. David also enjoyed the sport of combat pistol shooting. He is survived by his brother, Wayne Holbrook and his wife Carol, and his sisters Rosemary (married to Gerald Hollaway), and Cleta (married to Larry Horne). A memorial service will be held on Saturday May 12, 2018, at 3:00 PM, at the Yuma Central Adventist Church, 1861 South 6th Ave., Yuma, AZ.