I can’t imagine what it will be like the next time I walk through the doors of Aims Community College - Fort Lupton, knowing Dave Cushman won’t be there to offer his warm greeting.
Dave died suddenly Aug. 3 at Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton. He was 65.
He is survived by Lona Lee, his wife of 40 years, three children and three granddaughters.
When I first started covering Fort Lupton, Dave was one of the first people I met. He greeted me at the door of Aims Community College as he did so many times with an enthusiastic hello.
He personified Fort Lupton to me right from the start – warm, friendly, eager to start up a conversation. He seemingly always had a warm handshake. As I learned my way around the college, he was always my escort, getting me to the right place.
I can remember the one time he surprised me with his regular, friendly greeting at the Trapper Days parade as I snapped pictures. I’m ashamed to say, for a few minutes, I couldn’t think of who that guy was. I never forgot again.
I remember when he called a couple of years ago, excited that he was going to be graduating from a local citizen’s police academy. He thought it might be good for me to be out there and see everybody get their diplomas.
You could see that night how special being part of that group was to him.
I always vowed that I would do a story on Dave. I had to know what made him so vibrant, so energetic, so outgoing.
I waited too long.
Sharing a little of what a special person I always thought he was is the least I could do.
