Fulgencio Tovar

In the early morning of September 25, 2008 after a fierce 29 month battle with leukemia and with his family by his side Dave Tovar, Husband, Father, Friend to us all decided that it was his time to go west. He is survived by his wife Bertha Tovar, son Harry Tovar, and Daughter in law Jody Tovar. Friends and family will celebrate his life on Thursday October 2, 2008 viewing at 1:00 – 3:00. Service starting at 3:00. Services will be held at Newcomer Funeral home on 190 N. Potomac Aurora, Co 80011.

Dave's life was one that touched many lives along his 56 year journey. He was born in Torolla El Salvador in 1952 one of seven children. As a child he was intrigued by airplanes always pointing them out whenever he saw one and would tell his parents that someday he would either fly or work on them. At the age of sixteen he came to the United States to live with family and study. During one of his trips back home he met and fell in love with his future wife.

In 1971 Dave enlisted in the U.S. Army, after basic at FT. Dix NJ he was stationed at FT. hood with the 2nd. Armored Div and while stationed there he was able to bring his wife and newly born son to the states.

After his enlistment he used his GI bill to attend George T. Baker aviation tech school in Miami Florida where he would get his Airframe and power plant license. After graduation he would work for a variety of maintenance facilities at Miami international airport. When in 1978 he was hired by the original Frontier Airlines in Denver, Colorado. So in the fall of 1978 he moved his family and began work in January or 1979. He would work for Frontier airlines till 1986 when they went under; during his time away from aviation he started an auto shop with some friends from Frontier.

In late 1987 he was contacted by friends that worked for Continental airlines wanting to know if he would like to work for them. He thought long and hard about this and decided that is was time to get back to aviation. Thus beginning a 20 year career with Continental Airlines that would last until he was diagnosed with Leukemia in April of 2006.

He always said that he would fight this ugly disease with everything he had so that he could return to work as soon as he could. Unfortunately this was not to be. Dad you will be missed dearly by not only mom and me, you will be missed by many.

Pilots and those in the aviation community have an expression --- it is 'gone west' When we have a meeting of pilots or mechanics we will often start the meeting with a toast to those of us who have "gone west". We face the west and drink to those who have died. West, in this case, refers to the place the sun sets.