J. David Coughlin
David Coughlin died peacefully Aug. 11, 2021 after living an incredibly full 77 years. He is survived by his beautiful wife of 50 years, Lisa; and his daughter, Jennifer. While he meant a great deal to many, he meant the world to these two people. However, in the end he was seemingly most fond of his handsome grandson Jackson and his dog Ranger.
Dave graduated from Dartmouth in the class of 1966, then Willamette School of Law in 1969. He practiced law in Baker City until 2017 when he retired and ultimately moved to Bend in 2021.
Dave was a true risk taker who broke the mold at every turn. After being raised in Portland's Dunthorpe neighborhood and forming true friendships that would last a lifetime, he ventured from Portland society to embark on his own journey…A journey that would lead him to create a thriving law practice in Northeastern Oregon, to hang off the side of Mt. McKinley in a bivouac, to claw his way through thousands of swimmers in the Mediterranean in the Triathlon World Championships, to marry the love of his life in a beautiful mountain meadow, to catch a touchdown against Princeton that would show up on the cover of the next day's New York Times, to cycle the Alps Tour de France routes, to skipper a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands, and to be caught in two Alaska avalanches. Never a moment missed!
He would describe his greatest achievement as being a father who devoted himself to the betterment and success of his daughter. Beyond that, he aided thousands through legal crises and mentored children in the SMART reading program while also serving as the community's volunteer swim coach and forming the town's first gym. He believed not only education, but also dedicated hard work was the key to success…beliefs formulated from his adoration of his own mentor Joe Loprinzi at the Multnomah Athletic Club. He will be remembered for his intelligence, integrity, kindness, fairness, and overall class.
To Dave Coughlin, life was an adventure to be 100% lived. A celebration of this diverse and marvelous life will be held at 4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 19, 2021, at the Baker City Golf Course.
— Published by Oregon Live .