W. David Rossiter died in his home on the night of February 24, 2024.
The son of Salt Lake City natives Bill and Lucile Lindstrom Rossiter, David was born and raised in Helena, Montana, a place he left as soon as he could but which pulled at his heart in later years.
He was a lifelong, if sometimes dissenting, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Thanks to the guidance of the late Marion D. Hanks, his time serving an LDS mission in London, England, in the 1960s was a formative experience. After his mission, he studied Public Accounting at Brigham Young University and earned a masters in Political Science at Tufts University.
He began his career working for Senator Edward Brooke of Massachusetts and earned invaluable life and career experiences working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He transitioned to the private sector in 1979 and for nearly two decades worked for Conoco (now ConocoPhillips). His negotiations with the Russian government were critical in helping Conoco become one of the earliest western oil groups to invest in post-Soviet Russia.
David married Judy Hyer, whom he met in Helena, in 1965, and together they raised four children while living in Utah, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, Texas and Brussels, Belgium. In 1996, the couple retired to Sandy, Utah, where David embarked on a new career as a volunteer, providing his time and services to the Utah State Prison, Sandy Elementary, Altaview Hospital and Meals on Wheels.
In his retirement, David enjoyed travels with his children and grandchildren, golfing with friends, working on his stamp collection, writing his personal history, and decorating his backyard with the inordinate amount of rocks he harvested from Big Cottonwood Canyon.
In the last years of his life, David lived with Lewy body dementia and passed away at home in the care of his family. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Patricia Hall and Carol Lynn Potter. He is survived by his wife, his children Ken Rossiter, Pamela (Lloyd) Ison, Shawn (Patricia) Rossiter, Jeff Rossiter,10 grandchildren, and 1 great-granddaughter.
A graveside service will be held at3 :00 pm on Friday, March 1, 2024 at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road, (10600 South), Sandy, UT.
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Judy and family,
Please accept my deepest condolences. Though he suffered for the past few years, I know it's a difficult transition. I hope you all feel peace about it. David always has a passionate way about him in everything he expressed and that impressed upon me at a young age a desire to figure out what I'm passionate about.
My family and I will continue to pray for you all.
Love,
Stephan
Uncle David was always kind to me. As a young child he would bring toys and introduced us to the hula hoop and gave me enough stamps to start my collection. He was interested and curious about us and would ask us questions like we were peers having a conversation and never spoke down to us. He was a very proud grandfather and seemed happiest when he could babysit and when he was in full health he enjoyed being a grandpa on road trips or playing kitchen or cars in his house. I can picture him grumpy at Lake Powell or a bit agitated in a gray sweater at a Thanksgiving but when I was in his house and he was comfortable all he would express was that he was so proud of all his kids and all his grandkids and what each of them was doing.
Dave was one of my very best friends growing up in Helena, Montana. He was a very passionate and intelligent young man, and an excellent basketball player! I was frequently invited to their ranch home in the Valley on Sunday afternoons for dinner and doing fun kid stuff. I loved his parents and I wish Judy and all Dave’s family the very best.