Obituary: Garinger, David Millican
Age 90
He is survived by his wife, Zelma and an extended loving family spread across his beloved USA.
In 1998, he and Zelma moved to Spokane from California to retire.
He enjoyed his last years near their youngest daughter, Becky (Mark) MacFarlane who cared so lovingly for him these last months.
David was born in Omaha, Nebraska, October 8, 1923, and grew up in Colorado Springs.
At the age of 19, he joined the US Marine Corps, learned the construction trade, and served in the South Pacific until the end of WWII.
In the fall of 1946, while finishing high school in Los Angeles, he met the love of his life, Zelma Elizabeth Smith, and they married in the summer of 1947.
He finished college at Seattle Pacific University, training for the ministry, and his first pastorate was in Glendale, Arizona.
He then returned to Southern California and worked in sales for Sacred Records, Inc.
He loved having music in the home and had a passion for sharing that privilege with others.
In the late 1950’s, David accepted the call to pastor a small church in Tucson, Arizona.
His churches were always small, and main support for the family was provided by his work in construction.
He really loved building, and as a labor of love, completely remodeled an old duplex to give one of those churches a beautiful sanctuary.
Deciding to leave fulltime ministry, he returned to Southern California to work.
By then a master carpenter, he earned his California Contractor’s license and spent many years building new homes, commercial buildings, and remodeling.
He also enjoyed teaching carpentry after receiving a Vocational Teaching Certificate from UCLA.
Always the artist, he loved architectural design and drafted plans for most of the houses he built.
His creativity as an artist has always been shared with all, from his beautiful oil paintings to the book he wrote about his growing up years; from his poems and photographs to the pretty rocks he collected, now treasured by his great grandchildren.
David invested his time and his treasure in loving his family and spreading the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ.
His legacy of love and faithfulness in serving God has been embraced by all of his four children.
For 40 years he has been an active member of Gideon’s International speaking in churches and personally giving away thousands of Bibles.
He would truly be pleased if you wish to donate Bibles in his name.
A celebration of David’s life and legacy will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 5810 S. Meadowlane Rd., Spokane.