David Eugene Jensen
David Eugene Jensen, 41, passed away Tuesday, April 2, 2019.
David was born January 13, 1978 in Murray, Utah, the son of Ralph Verlin and Carol Jensen.
He married Sarah VanWinkle October 20, 2000, they had 2 children together but later divorced. He then married Becki Wilson August 22, 2015 in the Salt Lake Temple. March 31, 2017 David and Becki had the great opportunity and blessing of being able to take Becki’s 2 children with his own to be sealed as an Eternal family in the Reno, Nevada Temple.
David was a beloved husband, father, son and brother. Though he could bench over 400 pounds, his humble kind, and caring disposition endeared him to all who knew him.
Growing up in the Salt Lake Valley, David attended Granite High School, and enjoyed putting animal skeletons together and body building. He joined the Air Force in 2000 and served as a security policeman and in air transportation, with deployments of six months and four months to Iraq and Oman respectively. While serving in the Air National Guard, David began pursuing his interest in taxidermy. In 2005, he began his own taxidermy work in the Twin Falls, Idaho area, and subsequently began working for Intermountain Taxidermy, where he worked through 2012. Moving to Reno in 2013, David began working at Animal Artistry. Starting in 1988 David became a dedicated fan of the Cincinnati Bengals football team. In 2009 he attended his first football game in Cincinnati with his brother Stephen and since they enjoyed it so much they decided to make it a tradition of attending their games in Cincinnati every year attending at least 12 games. During these past years of attending the games, he had accumulated at least 180 jerseys and other memorabilia which shows a definite dedication and love for the team.
David was a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and enjoyed sharing his love of animals and taxidermy with the youth groups of the church and birthday parties.
David was preceded in death by his mother Carol.
He is survived by his beloved wife Becki, children Kylee, Dominic also step-children Heidi and Charlie; father Ralph Verlin, step-mother Charlotte, siblings Brian (Michelle), Andrea (Tim), Jeff (Julie), Valerie (Graydon), Tim (Andrea), Stephen, Eric (Maren), Kevin (Kristina), Tamara (Kevin), Michael (Julia), Lisa, and many nephews and nieces. David is also survived by his many scorpions, tarantulas, snakes, lizards, turtles, amphibians, spiders and insects.
Services will be held Saturday, April 13, 2019 at the Damonte Ranch LDS chapel 4850 Edmonton Drive, Reno Nevada, 10:00 am. Family viewing will be at the chapel one hour prior to the funeral. Interment will be at the VA Cemetery, Reno Nevada Monday, April 15, 2019 at 9:00 am.