David Lee Brophy

David Lee Brophy was born on the family homestead on Valentine’s Day in 1930.  His Mother, Precious, said he was the best Valentine’s present ever.  Dave Brophy was all boy – active, daring, quick.  What would it have been like to raise him with six siblings in a tiny shack in the Sandhills?

David and his siblings walked about a mile and a half to a one room school house.  Although in his later years he ran a trap line on his way to school, so the trip would have been considerably longer.  It’s said he actually liked it when he caught a skunk, as getting that smell on him earned him a day off from school.  He finished the eighth grade and went to work with his Dad, Peter.

The Army drafted Dave in 1951.  He did basic training in Hawaii and then was sent to Alaska to guard against the communist threat.  He finished his stint as a drill instructor in Kansas.  While in the Army he earned his GED.

Dave married Nadine Probasco in 1955.  They raised four children – Brad, Lisa, Greg, and Janet – in four different houses all located on the same farm.  Interestingly, they didn’t have indoor plumbing until they moved into their third house in 1964.  They built their final home in 1976.

Fall was his favorite time of the year.  He loved hunting, preferably in the mountains.  His first trip was at 14 for deer around Estes Park.  He carried a 30-40 Kraig that was longer than he was tall.  Over the years, he probably taught 20 some boys and a couple girls how to hunt, passing up shots on big game so a kid could bag his first elk.  His last hunting trip was in 2009; he carried a .243, but mostly for show.

The only thing more common on a hunting trip than rifles is card games.  David loved playing cards. Pitch, poker, and lately, spike.  We played for money; we kept score. Mostly for bragging rights.  It was brutal and fun.  No quarter given until after the game, and then, his character as moderator came through as always: let’s deal again.  There is always another chance, another game: “The winners are laughing; the losers are hollering ‘deal’.”

Dave was the third generation to grow watermelons in the Sandhills. He took great pride in a weed-free patch.  He cared deeply about quality; melons had to look good and taste better.  He knew by sight and sound a quality melon.  It’s an art that takes time to develop.  It takes patience.

David was unbelievably patient. He was a dad who rarely raised his voice; the few times he was ever upset with one of his kids truly garnered the attention of the offender.  If Dad was mad, you must have done something really bad.  He was that way with everyone.  He liked almost everybody he met, and he met people with ease.  He did not know a stranger.

Raising kids on a farm and ranch afforded Dave the opportunity to always have his kids with him.  From daily chores to seasonal work like fixing fence, one or more would have been “helping”; it was especially “helpful” when one of us dumped him out of the back of the pickup while he was feeding hay to the cows.  This constant companionship extended beyond life on the ranch;  he took us to every event you can imagine.  From gymkhanas to 4-H Fairs, Dad took us and our animals.

He took us on annual fishing trips to the mountains.  He loved fishing, camping, and spending time under a tall pine.  He’d regale us with stories of time spent working on hay crews in the mountains, successful fishing excursions, and successful hunts.  He taught by storytelling, and he taught more than just his own kids as almost every nephew and cousin learned the outdoors from Uncle Dave.  In later years, he regularly took his grandkids to Stalker Pond and the fishing hole in Holyoke.

David was preceded in death by Nadine, his wife of 48 years.  He is survived by five sisters, one brother, four children, eight grandkids, and six great grandchildren.

The old cowboy died in his pickup on his farm about a half mile from where he was born 83 years before. Happy trails, Dave.

A Rosary was held on Monday, March 25, 2013, 7:00 p.m. at the St. Andrews Catholic Church in Wray, Colorado. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, March 26, 2013, 10:00 a.m. at the St. Andrews Catholic Church in Wray, Colorado with Father Jonathan Dellinger officiating. Interment was held in the Yuma Cemetery in Yuma, Colorado. Memorials may be made to the Wauneta Fire Hall. Spellman-Schmidt Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.