David Leo Thelen was born on September 23, 1950 in Great Falls, MT and passed away on February 17, 2026 after a short battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Kara and Andrew Nisbet, as well as his sisters, Kathy (Royce) Shipley, Beth Ann Thelen and Peggy Thelen all of Great Falls and Jackie Eberle of Bremerton, WA. He was preceded in death by his wife, Judy Thelen, son Gregory Edward Thelen, parents Jack and Mae Thelen and brother, Gregory Jean Thelen.
Dave graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1968 in Great Falls and went on to graduate with a degree in Education from the College of Great Falls. However it was the job he started on his 16th birthday at Buttrey Food & Drug that led to his 49 year career in grocery store management, at Buttrey and then with Albertsons once it purchased Buttrey in 1998. This career took Dave and his family all around Montana (Great Falls, Conrad, Butte and Billings) and to North Dakota (Williston).
Dave married the love of his life, Judy Hirsch, in 1975 and went on to become a father to Kara and Greg in 1977 and 1981. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dave took his family on many road trips and family vacations to Minnesota, Las Vegas and California to name a few. He taught and cheered his children on in their various activities and sports, and he gave them his love of family, professional sports, arcades, comic books, and movies and television. The 2000s and 2010s brought Dave and Judy more time on their own to travel together as much as they could, hitting spots such as Deadwood,SD, national parks and any casino or lake they could find. Dave was his happiest when right beside his Judy, anywhere they were.
Right before and into the 2020s, Dave ran into his biggest hardships, unexpectedly losing his son and then losing his wife to a rare disease just a year later. Then six months after that, Dave himself faced illnesses that facilitated the need to leave Montana to make Puyallup, WA his home with Kara and Andrew. Dave worked hard to regain his strength and adjust to life in his Green Bay Packers colored electric wheelchair all while exploring his new surroundings. He loved going to every Yankees/Mariners game he could, a Packers/Seahawks game, a Supernatural convention, multiple concerts, theater events and trips to the ocean and Las Vegas with his family. He also loved being Papa Dave to his household’s collection of four-legged friends who could never get enough of him.
Dave truly lived his best life, turning 75 last September, until a high grade glioma (glioblastoma) came suddenly and caused complete devastation. If you would like to honor Dave, please make a donation in his name to a brain cancer or glioblastoma charity such as the American Cancer Society or Glioblastoma Foundation (glioblastomafoundation.org).
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