David Daniel Coover II was born on April 24, 1961, to David B. and Sandra K. Coover in Mechanicsburg, PA. David, who grew up in the area of his birth, was very proud of his father who rose to become the President of the First Bank and Trust Company. David was a venerated 1979 graduate of Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School standout. Dave was a member of the National Honor Society as well as excelled on the football and track teams. David was a natural leader, earning key roles on his high school’s Student Council and Key Club as well as being selected as Boy of the Month by the Mechanicsburg, PA, Rotary Club.

David was nominated by Congressman William Goodling, of Pennsylvania’s 19th Congressional District, to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and on July 2, 1979 he joined the class of 1983. After a spirited Plebe year, David became a B-1 “Barbarian,” eventually rising to the rank of Cadet Sergeant. Athletically, David was on the Track Team and played on the storied Army Rugby Team. David also enjoyed his time as a member of the Protestant Chapel choir. However, David will always be remembered by his classmates for his famous Coovy Clan tailgates.

Dave was B-1’s “Chief of Naval of Operations,” a lofty and much coveted title among the fun-loving Barbarians. He was the principal organizer, of "carrier landings" on the water-soaked third deck. Tragically, landings were halted when an impressionable yearling polished the floor with his forehead. Instead of "stress-relieving" fun, many Barbarians found themselves stoically walking the area.

One freezing cold, snowy night, Dave locked the keys in his Camero with the car was still running. Of course, the car was parked in the remotest lot. After much consultation with the rest of us who told him the situation was futile, he and Roy Radovich collected a bunch of rifle cleaning kits from underclassmen, threaded them together making two, really long rods. They put on sweats, beanies, and parkas and headed off into the night. After only a few hours, they ultimately unlocked the door with their Rube Goldberg contraption. We all remember the triumphant looks on their smiling faces when they came back soaking wet, covered in snow, and freezing cold.

David selected and was branched an Armor officer. After graduation, he attended the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, KY. With the essentials of armor tactics, David moved on to his first assignment at the National Training Center (NTC). His assignment with the vaunted 1st Battalion, 73rd Armor Regiment, of the 177th Armored Brigade would set the pace for armor training. On the NTC battlefield, the 177th portrayed the fictitious, “Guards 60th Motorized Rifle Division” which was based upon Soviet Army structure and doctrine. In the 73rd Regiment, David drew a series of very challenging jobs serving as a tank, mortar platoon leader, and Assistant Operations Officer rising to the rank of Captain. David and his regimental tank teams trained dozens of rotations per year leaving their imprint on tank crews for decades to come. As history would have it, it was precisely these tank crews that, in less than five years, would soundly overpower and crushed Saddam Hussein’s Soviet-style Iranian Army in decisive fashion during Operation Desert Storm.

After David fulfilled his active duty obligation to the country in 1988, he resigned his commission to begin a successful civilian career. David held positions in sales, engineering, business development, and management. Specifically, David worked as Director of Industrial Sales, Goulds Water Technology at Xylem, Inc. As Director, he was responsible for global industrial sales for pumps, valves and membranes in the Flow Control Division. His job required extensive travel all over the world, including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and South America. Dave’s business travels afforded him the opportunity to visit Normandy, France, a site that, as an Armor Officer, held great meaning for him.

David Daniel Coover II, 56, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, November 17, 2017, at Dublin Methodist Hospital in Dublin, Ohio, having laid down to take a nap and never waking up. At the time of his passing, David lived in Plain City, Ohio, just outside of Columbus, with his wife of 20 years, Juliet M. (Sorg) Coover and their three daughters - Brandi, Cari, and Miranda. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Alexis "Lexi" in May, 2004. David was laid to rest beside Lexi with full military honors.

David was a loving son, brother, husband and father with a heart of gold and a kind, gentle spirit. He loved his family beyond words and was very involved with his daughters. David will always be remembered for his carefree spirit and love of life. He is loved and missed by all who knew him and has forever left an irreplaceable imprint on the hearts of his Class of 1983 classmates, who are always "Proud to Be."

With that thousand-watt, All-American smile, Dave Coover was that loyal friend, that tough competitor on the fields of friendly strife, and that beloved company mate who ensured the West Point memories forever resonate in our consciousness.  – Tom Weikert

He will be remembered for his famous Coovy Clan Tailgates and his two favorite sayings: “Zee-ro” and “This Stuff Burns.” - Howitzer 1983