Hiker, master naturalist, humanitarian and beloved father, husband, brother and uncle David Allen Pietz, 83, of Littleton, Colo., passed away on Nov. 18, 2025, after a brief illness.
Dave was born on April 30, 1942 in Spokane, Wash., the son of Roy Clayton Pietz and Olive Irene Miller Pietz.
He grew up in Bonners Ferry, a town he remained connected to throughout his life. He graduated from Bonners Ferry High School in 1960 and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in business from Eastern Washington University.
Dave married Ellen Hook on Jan. 14, 1970, and lived in Bay Village, Ohio, divorcing in 1998. He married Lynn Prideaux on Dec. 21, 2002, and they spent nearly 23 happy years in Albuquerque, N.M.; Sandpoint; and Denver.
He spent his career at Energizer, focusing on transportation and environmental compliance. After retirement in 1998, he worked as a consultant for many years and also became heavily involved in nonprofit work, a strong passion of his.
Dave established a chapter of Family Promise in Albuquerque, which finds transitional housing for homeless families. The chapter he founded has served 500 families since 2003. He also worked to support the food security of people living on the nearby Navajo reservation.
In Sandpoint, he and his friend Rich Crettol started the Community Resource EnVision Center, which helps people in need connect to services to overcome obstacles they are facing. He also served as an adviser to other organizations helping the disadvantaged.
Dave had a lifelong love of nature. He was a hike leader in the New Mexico Mountain Club, which is where he met Lynn, and while a member of that club he climbed 19 mountains 14,000 feet or higher. He was also active in the Sandpoint Monday Hikers club, and a hiking group in Bonners Ferry, and was a frequent hiker of the Scotchman Peaks.
He was proud of having received his certification as a master naturalist, and enjoyed taking part in a study on the grizzly bear population. Dave also lobbied legislators for legal protection for the Scotchman Peaks, and fought to limit the rail transport of volatile materials through Sandpoint.
He loved travel, touring Europe while in college, and in retirement traveling with Lynn to Europe, Asia and Africa.
Dave was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Sandpoint and served on the Session Board and the Earth Care Committee.
Dave was a warm and wonderful parent and grandparent, who loved spending time with his five grandchildren and traveling around the world to see them.
Dave is survived by his wife, Lynn; sons Russell (Christine) of Madison, Wis., and Matthew (Aylin) of Bangkok, Thailand; grandchildren Sebastian (17), Kamelya (17), Marie (14), Kaan (14) and Evren (11); brothers Ken (Josette) of Houston, and Wayne (Margie) of Seattle; nephew and niece Jeff (Lisa) and Janine (Morgan) of Seattle; and Lynn’s children John Whittington (Caitlin) and Merrill Kingsbury (Scott).
Dave was preceded in death by his parents and brother Gordon.
The celebration of Dave’s life will be held at the First Presbyterian Church of Sandpoint at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6.
Memorial donations in Dave’s memory may be directed to one of the nonprofits he helped to found — crecidaho.com and familypromisealbuquerquenm.org — or to scotchmanpeaks.org or any organization dedicated to preserving nature, protecting the environment or helping those in need.
Online condolences may be shared on Caring Bridge: tiny.cc/DavePietz
Submitted by the family of Dave Pietz.
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