October 5, 1955 – February 9, 2025
But especially he loved to run in the dim twilight of the summer midnights, listening to the subdued and sleepy murmurs of the forest, reading signs and sounds as a man may read a book, and seeking for the mysterious something that called—called, waking or sleeping, at all times, for him to come.
— Jack London, Call of the Wild
David Louis Jensen, born October 5, 1955, in Port Chester, New York, passed away on February 9, 2025, in the company of his wife and children, near his home in Ouray, Colorado.
Dave was the second son of Chris W. and Alice Adam Jensen. Dave and his older brother, Jay W. Jensen, were the first in their family to graduate college and were a source of pride to their parents.
In 1977, Dave graduated summa cum laude from Colgate University with a BA in mathematics and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to earn his PhD in operations research from Cornell University in 1985. While at Cornell, Dave met and married his first wife, Josephine Lamont Brill.
After briefly working as an assistant professor at various schools, Dave joined IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. Dave’s work at Watson allowed him continue to pursue his academic interests while also providing for his family and three children: Alfred Brill Jensen, born 1988 (wife, Lauren Elise Herget); Joseph David Jensen, born 1990; and Aisling Wigglesworth Jensen, born 1993. Dave and Jo lovingly raised their three children in Peekskill, New York, along the Hudson River.
Although Dave’s career included stints at other companies, he largely remained at IBM and ultimately obtained the title of Distinguished Engineer. Dave was also recognized by IBM’s CEO for 25 years of distinguished service.
A significant chapter in Dave’s life unfolded when he reconnected after forty years with his high-school girlfriend, Nancy Rosenthal Gilmore, in Ouray. Each having built their own families, Nancy and Dave began a new life together in Ouray and married in 2017. Dave loved Nancy’s daughter, Becca Anne Gilmore, and her dog Fritz, as his own. Becca’s nickname for Dave was “bonus dad.”
Dave was first and always deeply committed to his family and children— and their security, happiness, and success. Dave’s other passions included riding his motorcycles, solving Rubik’s cubes, listening to Bob Dylan records, and attending New York Mets games with his children. In Ouray, Dave enjoyed running vacations, herding goats, and hiking the local trails, especially in the spring when the claret cactus bloomed. A one-time Imogene Pass finisher, Dave was often referred to as “BC” (for business casual) because he ran in jeans and a button-down.
Dave’s favorite holiday was Christmas, which he cherished spending with family. He celebrated his last Christmas in 2024 with his wife Nancy, his children, and his brother Jay. Dave made his family’s traditional Swiss cheese fondue (in Ouray, the Switzerland of America), happy in the warmth of his family’s love. The photograph in this obituary was taken by Dave’s brother, Jay, just before Christmas dinner.
In addition to his wife Nancy, her daughter Becca, his three children, and his brother Jay, Dave is survived by his brother’s children, Christopher W. Jensen and Sarah Brochu Jensen, whom he loved dearly. May the memory of Dave’s brilliance, humor, and adventurous spirit bring comfort to those who knew him.
A celebration of Dave’s life is being planned for the spring in New York. Informal gatherings of friends will be planned for the future in Ouray. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to contact his wife Nancy, or his children.
