David Leon Feauto, age 76, of Shellsburg, Iowa, passed away peacefully at his home on March 17, 2024.
Dave was born in McNary, Arizona, on July 31, 1947. He was the eldest of five siblings. All were God’s gift to loving parents Leo and Rethal Feauto. From there his family moved to an acreage in Sioux City, Iowa, when he and his siblings were children. It was here they all learned the values and appreciation of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work. The family once again relocated to Luverne, Minnesota, where David would attend and graduate high school.
After graduation, Dave decided to serve our country by joining the Army. During his enlistment, he spent a year at the North Pole as part of a scientific expedition. Several remarkable stories have come from this experience, most of which his family has heard many times! From there, he was deployed in Vietnam where he ran heavy equipment and performed other specialized tasks. While there, he and another soldier were in a jeep that hit a landmine that exploded under their truck. Both were injured, but Dave crawled across the road to protect the other soldier from the enemy until help finally came. This act of bravery earned him the distinguished Purple Heart.
Dave was a self-taught, skilled mechanic who enjoyed restoring his old Corvettes and exploring the beautiful open roads of America on his motorcycles. He was known for his ability to fix anything and even built his own home in Denison, Iowa.
In his professional life, Dave worked several jobs before he began his career at Farmland Foods. He started in the truck repair shop, then became an over-the-road truck driver, and then retired as a dispatcher.
After retiring from Farmland, he took on several other part-time jobs to keep busy and share his skills with anyone who wanted to learn. Throughout his life he made so many good friends and always enjoyed socializing at the local watering hole or hanging out with the boys at the barbershop.
David is survived by his wife, Joy; two sisters, Roxanne Weaver and Renee Feauto; brother Dale Feauto; son Joe Feauto with his wife, Jamie; daughter Tina Nibbe with her husband, Todd; four grandchildren, Lauryn, Dylan, Ashley and Addison; two great-grandchildren, Rowen and Florence; and numerous nieces and nephews that he loved very much.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Rethal, as well as his brother Rodney.
He lived his life by a few simple principles, honesty, integrity, and above all else his love for his family. His legacy will be remembered by those who knew and loved him.
A military service will be scheduled at a later date.