David Marlin Fillerup

David Marlin Fillerup, Beloved Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Great-Grandfather passed away on February 27th of Pancreatic Cancer. He completed his journey in this mortal realm to go find more slot canyons in the world beyond. He is preceded in death by his Parents and 2 older brothers. He is survived by his 2 older sisters, his wife LaRue, his children Christi (Ken), Troy (Christa), Laura (Sal), Carolyn (Mike), Richard (Lindsay) and Brian (Reyna) and many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

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Dave was born in Moab Utah in April of 1945 and that must have become embedded in him because he loved the desert for the rest of his life, always searching out new and interesting places to go on hikes and camping trips. His knowledge of the fun places to hike in Southern Utah was known far and wide. If there was a slot canyon in Southern Utah, he had probably hiked it. One of his favorites was “The Wave”, but he loved them all. Throughout his life, he was always up for a good hike. He even did a one day rim to rim hike of the Grand Canyon when he was in his 60’s. That was a very long day, but he got it done.

He joined the Air Force when he was 18 and reached the rank of Master Sergeant. One day, when he was on leave, he went on a blind date with a great girl named LaRue. It turned out to be the best blind date ever because she turned out to be the love of his life. They got married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1967 and had a long and loving marriage. He said that meeting her “saved him”. He was going down a path that could have ended up badly, but meeting LaRue got him on the straight and narrow and she kept him there for the rest of his life. Dave and LaRue were inseparable throughout their 50+ years of marriage. Whenever they went somewhere, it was always together.

Dave and LaRue had 6 children. Christi, Troy, Laura, Carolyn, Richard and Brian. He was a wonderful Dad, always there to support and love his kids. He was a bit of a disciplinarian once in a while and did his best to help his kids stay on the right path. When he told you to do something, you did it! He had no problem enforcing his rules. There was one time when Dave had told his son that he could not see a specific movie, but his son snuck out and went anyway. When Dave found out, he went to the theater, went in to where the movie was playing and yanked him out. He always wanted the best for his kids and did anything he could to support them. He was always there for them and was a great advice giver and sounding board.

Once he got Grandkids, it got even better. He was such a wonderful grandpa and he passed on his love and wisdom to all of them also. Then came the great grandkids and his love grew even more. The time and love he spent on all of his progeny was second to none. They all loved spending time at Papa David’s house.

While in the military, Dave and his family moved several times. That worked out quite well for him because he loved to travel. No matter where he lived, he always made sure to experience all he could from wherever he was. It seems like, when they lived in Germany, they would go on some trip or another every weekend. This love of travel gave his family so many great memories of all the wonderful places they went. He was always wanting to go somewhere or do something.

Dave was loved by everyone that knew him. He was always the first on the scene when anybody needed help and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. He was a big man and looked intimidating. He liked standing next to shorter people and teasing them about how little they were. But the reality is that he was a huge teddy bear. That was evidenced by the fact that he loved to have tea parties with his great-grandkids.

He always loved reading and learning and especially loved math. He instilled that love into his children and grandchildren. Even to this day, they all remember the math games that he used to play on long trips. (Remember the love of travel?) “Tell me when I get to 0: 6 plus 9 divided by 3 times 10 minus 100 plus 50.”

He loved making up and telling stories. He would spin great tales of his trips to Mars and Venus when he was a little kid. He would regale his kids about how he and his cousin would build rockets from “energy food (frozen juice with a secret ingredient to make it invincible)” and make sure to pack lots of candy. However, his mom would always make him take a can of spinach so he could stay healthy. His cousin’s mom would make him take a can of brussel sprouts.

Dave had many, many “daveisms” that survive to this day through his kids and grandkids. Anyone that knew him has heard at least one of these.

● He’s a good man and there are only a few of us left

● You’re breathing a scab on your nose

● If I were somewhere, I’d go home

● That little bit was almost as good as a full meal

● No thanks, I just had a bar of soap (This was if you offered him some food that he didn’t want right then)

In addition to travel, he also loved his treats. His specialties were Victorias and ice cream mixed with milk. Every time any of his kids or grandkids eat graham crackers with frosting, they will definitely think of him.

Dave will be greatly missed. He was a powerful influence in the lives of all those he came in contact with. He leaves behind a legacy of many people that love and will miss him.

The funeral service will be held at the Clinton 13rd ward meeting house at 1798 W 800 N, Clinton UT. The public viewing will be from 9:30am - 10:45 am with the funeral service from 11:00am - 12:00pm. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the humanitarian center or your favorite charity.