David Stanley Fenton, resident of Grande Prairie, AB, passed away peacefully on June 25, 2024, at the Grande Prairie Care Centre at the age of 84 years.

Dave was born in Grande Prairie to Stanley and Margaret Fenton. He was the oldest sibling amongst two brothers and one sister. He was raised on a farm and while he wasn’t drawn to farming, he certainly enjoyed the mechanical aspect of things. Dave and his brothers designed many contraptions using whatever was at hand; raiding the tool shed, and using parts from idle machinery including the washing machine motor. This set the stage for Dave’s future, with his engineering mindset and his hands-on approach, he set his sights on becoming a machinist.

In 1957 Dave met Lois Cunningham and in August of the following year, they were married. The next few years saw Dave working his way through his machinist apprenticeship at Steel Industries. In July of 1959, Janet was born, and in February 1961 Barry came along. Dave became a Journeyman in 1962 and after that, he went into business, first with partners at Fenley Machine & Welding, and later starting Davco Machine.

Dave found his passion in designing and building. Over the years he enjoyed problem solving and designing solutions for his customers. You could always tell Dave was busy with a new project, spending early morning hours at a drafting table with a faraway look in his eye.

In 1975, Dave and Lois moved to a quarter section in Grovedale, AB, but in 2015 they moved back to Grande Prairie where they purchased a home on Crystal Lake. Although it took a long time for Dave to officially retire, he did slow down enough to play golf in the summer and curl in the winter, often with the senior leagues a few times a week.

When asked what out of all of his life accomplishments brought him the most joy and happiness and what he was the most proud of, Dave always replied - his family.

Dave will be sadly missed by that family. Lois, his wife of 65 years; his daughter Janet Plante and son-in-law Pete; and son Barry and daughter-in-law Penny. His grandchildren: Jason (Tammy) Plante, Amy Plante (Shaun), Dustan (Dana) Fenton, Dorian Fenton (Jess), Tianna; great-grandchildren: Mathew, Evan, Owen, Alex, Mirrin, Joan, Harlyn; brothers: Terry (Mira), Larry (Betty); sister Ann (Bob) Russell; sister-in-law Pat (Duane) Bumstead; niece Shylah (Matt) O’Connor; nephew Chris (Kirsten) Fenton.

Dave was predeceased by his parents; his in-laws Tom and Dorothy Cunningham; brother and sister-in-law Romeo and Lynda Dupuis.

A Celebration of Dave’s Life will take place on July 26, 2024, with time and location to be announced at a later date.