David Ickes

 David Ickes passed away Aug. 30, 2025, at St. Luke’s, Boise.

 David was born to Charles Ickes and Gladys (Bratcher) Ickes on Oct. 25, 1939. He already had an older sister, Donna, born in 1937. A younger sister, Gloria, was born in 1942.

 They lived in Idaho a few years, then moved to Southern California, where Charles worked in the shipyards during the war. Dave’s mother was pretty much a homemaker. They lived there  for several years, around aunts, uncles, and several cousins. They also had a grandfather and grandmother.

 In the late 1940s, they moved to Paradise in Northern California. His father joined the building trades. Dave worked at a bowling alley and in the building trades. There were great fishing creeks and rivers, which Dave loved. He also got his first deer in Paradise.

 He finished grade school and graduated from high school in 1957. The family moved to Chico  just below Paradise. His sister Donna graduated from Chico High School. At the time, Marlene’s sister, Lois, was also going to Chico High. Not sure if they knew each other at the time (maybe fate was starting  to form). Dave started to go to Chico State also. He worked at a stationery store and a furniture store. In the summer, he worked for the California Department of Forestry. He also was fishing the rivers and creeks around Chico.

 His sister Donna got married to Dave Powell; they had two girls, Suzanne and Kelene. His other sister, Gloria, got married to Ted Kregoski; they had three kids: Chris, Shelley, and Malinda.

 Going back to high school, this is where Marlene came into his life. She was a junior, and they met through a friend of Dave’s. Dave’s sister, Gloria, was in high school at the same time. Who would have known they would later become sisters-in-law?

 Marlene’s parents were Marvin and Hildred Carl from Grants Pass, Oregon. Her aunt, uncle, and grandparents were dairy farmers out in the Applegate Valley outside of Grants Pass. She was born in 1942.

 Her parents left Oregon in the late 1940s and moved to Chico, California. (Fate again!) Her dad worked in the building trades. Her mother worked in a candy store and managed a large apartment building that was rented to college girls.

 Dave and Marlene dated for two years and were married in 1961. They moved to the coast, to Eureka, where they were trained for management of a Sprouse-Reitz variety store. Our daughter, Debra, was born in 1962.

 For the next three years, they were store managers. In 1965, our other daughter, Kim, was born. They left their job and moved to Sacramento, California. In 1966, he started his job with the California Department of Fish and Game. That was their life for the next 34 years.

 They lived on four different hatcheries. Their longest was in Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra Mountains at 7,000 feet. We spent 15 years there – lots of fishing, deer hunting, and trapping. Marlene worked at a private fly-fishing ranch cleaning cabins, at a Sears catalog store, and at a pharmacy.

 Our girls graduated from Mammoth Lakes. Daughter Debra married Thomas Evans.

 We were blessed with our first grandchild in 1983, a little girl, Stephanie. They had another girl in 1986, Heather. Our other daughter, Kim, worked in Mammoth. Later, she was married twice. Kim passed away in 2011 and is deeply missed.

 Our next longest stay was at Mt. Shasta Hatchery in Northern California – another 15 years – and a lot of deer hunting and fishing on lakes.

 They decided to retire in 2000. We moved to Weiser, Idaho. The next 25 years were wonderful. Dave got introduced to the Elks Lodge – what a wonderful place to make friends for the next 15 years. There were so many fishing trips with the RVs, camping adventures, and plenty of fish stories – about the ones that were huge, the ones that were small, and the ones that got away.

 Dave loved the weekly fishing trips with some of his regular fishing friends. Some of the same friends hunted for birds – doves, quail, pheasants, ducks – and their dogs.

 Dave once said, “I thoroughly enjoy outdoor life. It’s more than just a pastime for me. It’s pretty much my entire life.”

 Dave is survived by his wife, Marlene; daughter Debra (Thomas) Evans; two sisters, Donna (David) Powell and Gloria (Ted) Kregoski; brother-in-law, Walt Henson; and grandchildren. Stephanie (Brian) Sathre; son, Koa; and daughters, Sky and Kailea. Heather (Pigati) Evans; son, Cameron. Many other nephews and nieces.

 Marlene’s side:

 (Walt) Henson; sons Steve and Rick. Rick (Lisa); sons Brian and Kevin Henson, and family. Steve (Donna); sons Charlie and Jim Henson, and family.

 I hope to do a celebration later.