David "Dave" Poppe

David “Dave” Poppe, 48, passed away on November 23, 2018, at a Bismarck hospital after 24 days in ICU. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, December 1, at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 106 Osage Ave., Bismarck, with Rev. Craig Schweitzer officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm Friday, November 30, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a prayer service will begin at 7:00 pm. David Michael Poppe was born on August 22, 1970, to Roy and Carol Poppe. He joined his older brother, Dan, in creating their family of four. Dave attended elementary, junior high, and high school in Mandan, ND. If you hung out with him at all in the 80s, you remembered him as “Pops,” the guy everyone knew. If you didn’t know him, you wanted to. He was just that kind of person. Early in life, Dave developed a love for playing baseball with his brother and neighborhood friends. Back in the day, you could find them playing for hours in vacant lots and local ball diamonds. Dave had a passion for deer and pheasant hunting throughout his life and he taught his nephews the importance of respecting the land and all wildlife. Dave was always the life of the party, but, he also had a gift for knowing when and how to disconnect and enjoy the simple things in life. When Dave took an interest in something, he put his heart and soul into it. Over the years he had many passions-classic cars (especially his 1969 Dodge Coronet 440), car racing, playing darts, pool, camping, fishing, and pontooning. Dave had a strong work ethic that started at a young age. He had jobs at Lumber Bunk, Hardee’s, and Pizza Hut in his teen and adult years. He spent several years at Speedy’s Tire Service before going to work for the North Dakota Department of Human Services in 2000, where he was employed at the time of his death. Family was everything to Dave. Throughout his life, he loved time spent with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. His niece and nephews adored him and always felt so lucky to have their Uncle Davy in their lives. His presence at family gatherings was sure to bring a lot of laughter and storytelling. The annual Poppe Christmas Eve get-together and Sunday lunches will never be the same. The bond he had with the golden retrievers he and Peggy shared, Tucker and Mitzi, was an important one to Dave. In 2002, Dave met Peggy Christman through work at DHS. They clicked instantly and spent 16 wonderful years together. She was the love of his life. Peggy’s kids and grandkids were just like his own and he was proud to be called “Papa.” Honored to have shared his life are his soulmate, Peggy Christman; his parents, Roy and Carol Poppe; his brother, Dan (Rena) Poppe; niece, Emily Poppe; nephews, Matt and Riley Poppe; Brooke (Christman) Sanford and her children, Kylie and Bennett; Cory Christman; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. It would be impossible to list everyone whose lives Dave touched, but he counted many throughout the years as his close friends. He will be missed so much! Dave was preceded in death by his Grandpa and Grandma Poppe, Grandpa and Grandma Graf; Uncles Bill and Lyle Poppe; Aunt Lois Poppe; and Collin Christman.