Lt. Col. (RET) David Marc Cooley

It is with great sorrow that the Cooley family announces the passing of our dear father, husband, and brother David Marc Cooley, 59, of Ardmore, Alabama, formerly Galesburg, Illinois, on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Huntsville Hospital Hospice Family Care. He was so loved and will be greatly missed.

David was born on July 20, 1963, in Galesburg, Illinois, to Donna Jean Miles and Donald Eugene Cooley. He grew up in Illinois with his younger brother Dale. He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in business in 1985. David married Dee Melodie Drewyor in Vejle, Denmark in May of 1989. They have two children, Emma Elizarose and David Michael. David married his second wife, Karen René Nelson, in Madison, Alabama in August of 2001, and later adopted her daughter, Rachel Lenore.

David was a true patriot and served his country faithfully. In 1985, David joined the U.S. Army as an Ordnance Officer and served on active duty in Germany as part of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He then served a second Persian Gulf tour as part of the Iraq War while in the Alabama National Guard. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. David was employed by BFA Systems as a logistics analyst at the time of his passing. David enjoyed camping, woodworking, collecting trains, and he was an amateur radio enthusiast.

David was predeceased by his father, Donald (Joyce) Cooley; his mother, Donna Cooley; his brother, Darrell Cooley; and his second wife, Karen. He is survived by his children, Emma, Michael, and Rachel; his brother, Dale (Julie) Cooley; his niece, Elizabeth; his nephew, Brandon; his wife, Dana and his stepchildren.

After cremation, burial was held on Friday, March 10, 2023, with military honors at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, Alabama.