David W. Hafer, 82

David Winfield Hafer of Polson, born Dec. 30, 1941, exhaled in this world for the final time and inhaled in the presence of Jesus surrounded by dear friends and family on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 2024, after a lengthy illness.

He was born to Harry and Estelle Hafer in Lewistown, Mont., and joined older sister Annette in his forever family. He spent the first two years of his life in Winnett, where his father owned and operated the light plant. 

The family then moved to Missoula. He attended Willard Elementary School followed by Missoula County High School in 1956, graduating in 1960. 

David started playing the trumpet at age 5 under his father’s tutelage. He excelled, as he spent every waking moment focusing on practicing and playing. When he started school, a sixth grader, Conrad Colby, was assigned to chaperone him to the bus stop which took him to the University of Montana for advanced study. He played for almost every Christmas and Easter Sunrise Service at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church during his grade school and high school years.

David continued to develop his techniques and skills in high school and college. In college, he organized a jazz group called the Blue Hawks and played for many dances and university functions including the Foresters’ Ball.

In 1961 he performed along with other band members in the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena. That same year he pledged and joined the SAE fraternity, choosing it because it received the award for highest academic achievement several years running. His mother cooked for “the boys,” perhaps to keep an eye on David.

In 1964 David received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the university, but his interest in music was waning and he switched sides of the campus and got reestablished in the sciences, which led him to apply and be accepted into dental school at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

Following completion of the four-year dental program, he did a one-year internship in prosthetics and thought he may want to specialize in that field of dentistry, but the oral and maxillofacial surgery program offered him a three-year residency and he was off on a career in which he excelled, and which offered great personal satisfaction. He trained at Wood V.A. and Milwaukee County General Hospital.

The final six months of his training were at Detroit General Hospital in downtown Detroit for trauma training. It was located directly across from the Wayne County Jail. The hospital had bars on the windows, guards at the doors, and cockroaches in the call room! Intimidating to say the least, but the best training a surgeon could ask for. 

David attained distinguished accomplishments while at Marquette. Among his achievements were: the Alpha Sigma Nu National Jesuit Honor Award, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Honorary Dental Award (twice), and the Marquette University Academy of General Dentistry High Achievement Award. He also received an award rarely given. It was for highest achievement in operative dentistry, crown and bridge, and prosthetics and was referred to as the Triple Crown.

David always said the thing that made him work so hard was fear of failing! Following his residency, he became Chief of the Oral Surgery program at Marquette. 

It was just before he left Milwaukee for Detroit that he met the love of his life and Oneness partner, Bobbie (Barbara). They were married in Green Bay, Wis., in 1976 during one of the worst ice storms that area had ever gotten.

In 1977 they moved to Great Falls, Mont., and he established a thriving Oral Surgery practice, drawing patients from a 300-mile radius. He specialized in Orthognathic surgery, trauma and, of course, third molars. Bobbie worked by his side for 27 years as his office manager, something every practice manager tells you never to do, but for them it worked.

In 1990 they built a future retirement home in Polson on property that had been in his family for many years. At that time Bobbie pretty much migrated to Polson to supervise the building project and David came on weekends.

In 2004 David retired from his maxillofacial surgery practice and the two of them completed building a home in the Proctor Valley. David tried to settle into retirement, but after all those years of hard charging, it wasn’t quite as easy as he thought. He continued to work part time at the satellite office in Polson for Oral Surgical Associates out of Missoula. After four years of doing so he was ready for full-time retirement.

Having inherited property in Missoula from his parents and now having time, he and Bobbie dove into the much-needed restoration and remodeling of the family commercial property, a two-year project.

Following that, they were asked to assist in renovating and restoring the hundred-year-old SAE house on the university campus. Knowing how much work their own project had been, they were a bit reluctant to jump into a major undertaking again, but duty called, and they once again embarked on a two-year project. David was one of the original members of the House Corporation.

Having spent so many years in Great Falls, the Charlie Russell Art Auction was always an attraction in which they participated. They learned to appreciate fine art and developed close and personal relationships with many of the artists.

David had an eye, and the hands to coordinate with putting what he saw onto a canvas. So, for Christmas one year Bobbie got him all of the things he needed to begin on his art journey. This included personal lessons with Mark Ogle, one of Kalispell’s finest artists.

Of course, it wasn’t long before David was encouraging Bobbie to take up the brush as well. So, the two of them started an art career and have hung their work in the Phillips Gallery in Kalispell. Again, as was the pattern of their life, it was something that they enjoyed doing together.

David’s other involvements included being past president of the Montana Fourth District Dental Society, teaching dental assistants at the College of Great Falls, serving on the executive committee at Deaconess Hospital, being a member of Montana Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and advocating and testifying against Physician Assisted Suicide when it came before the Montana Legislature.

David started and developed a mentorship program at the Dayton Elementary School. At the time this came about the school was on the brink of closing as the enrollment had dropped drastically. David felt that was something that really needed to survive in the community, so he brought in a group of “experts” to talk to the children and stimulate their little minds to think and dream bigger. Among them was an ENT doctor, two different artists, a dentist who taught the kids how to brush and floss properly, and a professional classical concert violinist who now teaches at the college in Kalispell.

In addition, he was able to secure a field trip to Flathead Lake Lodge, where the children received lunch, saw a real-life roping demonstration, and got to ride on the big fire trucks into the mountains to collect elk sheds which are still on display in the school. The paintings done by the artists were donated to the school and still hang there. 

Today the Dayton School is alive, well, and developing plans to build a new facility complete with a community center. 

The crown and glory of David’s personal life was in 1994 when he became a born-again Christian. At that time, his office became his mission field, and it was evident to all who entered his doors. He had a weekly Bible study in his office for eight years, attended by other physicians, lawyers, bankers, even a pastor or two migrated through.

Evangelism was his heart as he knew the greatest need man had was to know and be known by Jesus Christ. Acts 4:12 says for there is no other name under heaven, given to man by which we must be saved. David attended the Dirtbags Bible study in Bigfork for several years until his health prevented him from doing so.

David became a life member of the Christian Medical Dental Association (CMDA) and served as State Representative for Montana for several years. This organization influenced David more than any other and before long he realized he wanted to establish a Montana CMDA body that would draw members from the West. The Montana conferences were held at Big Sky with speakers of notoriety brought in from the main headquarters in Bristol, Tenn. 

David and Bobbie also donated several paintings for auction to the Christian Women in Christ organization as a fund raiser to help desperate women in Nicaragua escape the life of being sex trafficked. As David’s health became more compromised it was necessary to pass the baton to younger and more energetic doctors.

David and Bobbie were also instrumental in establishing the Glacial Forum in Kalispell, a monthly forum where experts in various fields, such as government, military, education, medicine, etc. were brought in for the purpose of informing, educating, and inviting inquiries about what was happening in these various fields.

David leaves behind a legacy of patients that loved him because he was more than a doctor. He was a compassionate and caring surgeon, mentor, counselor, friend, employer, and so much more.  The most-used word describing David was kind.

John Schvaneveldt and Doug Swift were his lifelong professional and personal best friends. They continued in their love for David until this time. Bobbie wishes to thank the caregivers who assisted her in David’s final days – Pamm and Paul Ciupa, niece Bonnie and Joe Gabelhausen, and Vicki Holmberg. They helped in every way imaginable, and Bobbie was extremely blessed by their attention and care.

David is survived by his wife of 48 years; sister Annette (Larry) Taylor; nieces Bonnie (Joe) Gabelhausen and Sherry (Joe) Robbins and nephew Kyle (Jess) Johnson. In addition, his extended family through Bobbie includes sisters-in-law Pam Przybelski and MaryKim (Brian) Allen; brothers-in-law Steve and Scott Plischke, along with their children Krista (Steve) Marvin, Paul Przybelski, Lindsey (Travis) Breckenridge, Nicholas (Erin Allen) and Kendra Plischke VanZile, along with several great nieces and nephew and several great-great nephews and nieces.

Services for David will be conducted at The Lake Funeral Home, 101 6th Ave. East in Polson on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 12:30 p.m. The service will be live-streamed at lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.

Bobbie suggests donations be made to CMDA, P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621 or the charity of your choice in David’s honor. Messages of condolence may be shared with the family at lakefuneralhomeandcremation.com.

Arrangements are under the care of The Lake Funeral Home and Crematory.