David Jon Nebelsieck departed from his rainforest jungle — his favorite place on Earth — on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022, at the age of 56. As a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and loyal friend, David was a big presence in many people’s lives. He even entered this world in a big way, being born to Gary and Judy Nebelsieck March 27, 1966, at a whopping 10 pounds.
Dave is survived by his wife, Relene Johnson, and his proudest accomplishments — daughter Tawnee Cannon, sons Gunnar Nebelsieck and Isaac Nebelsieck, step-children Sara Lavonture (Jakekeyda Walker) and Jacob Briscoe, and grandchildren Jade, Leylah, Euriah, Astara and Kaleo. Dave is also survived by his mother, Judy Bendzak, stepfather, Steven Bendzak, sisters Teri Perrine (Tom) and Cheryl Nebelsieck, and brother Chris Nebelsieck. Dave was preceded in death by his father, Gary Nebelsieck, paternal grandparents, Jack and Irene Nebelseick, and maternal grandmother, Jeanne Marine.
Dave grew up in Colton, graduating from Colton High School in 1984. He attended North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene before volunteering for service in the U.S. Navy. He traveled the world on the supercarrier, Carl Vinson, and soon realized the military wasn’t for him.
Dave was a plumber and builder by trade in the Pullman/Moscow/Lewiston area as well as Spokane. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t fix or construct. His craftsmanship was something to marvel at.
Dave began his dream of moving to Costa Rica 20 years ago when he and his wife bought 45 acres bordering the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. There, he built homes for himself and his family. Dave embraced Pura Vida to the fullest, appreciating the amazing flora and fauna on his Costa Rican property. He was not just a builder of houses but a builder of communities. Dave was the person at the center who brought everyone together. He traveled where he wanted to travel, laughed at every chance he had, learned what he wanted to learn, built what he wanted to build, taught what he wanted to teach, and loved what he wanted to love. He welcomed everyone with open arms and acceptance. Dave made everyone feel safe and at ease and brought a quiet calm to this life.
In the thousands of candid photos of Dave, he is always making silly, goofy faces — his signature from the time he was a toddler. This made everyone around him smile but made it difficult to find a serious photo for this obituary.
A celebration of life was held Sept. 30, 2022, at Dave’s Costa Rican property. A second memorial service will be held from 1-4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Gun Club in Colton.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Children’s Eternal Rainforest (acmcr.org) or the Surfrider Foundation (surfrider.org).
