David Coggeshall DeLong, age 85, escaped this mortal realm the morning of Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 leaving behind 16 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and enough trash bags to last a lifetime.

He was born on September 26, 1937 in Des Moines, Iowa to parents Charles and Kate DeLong. He grew up in Grinnell, Iowa with his brothers, Chod and Tim and his sister, Anne.

He had a passion for golf and tennis and enjoyed playing both throughout his life. His love for sports didn't stop with playing, he was a huge supporter of the University of Florida women's tennis program and was an "enthusiast" of women's sports in general, albeit for reasons unknown. He was also a self-proclaimed rancher and loved having horses and extra-large Great Danes on his ranch.

David had an easy-going, no-bs personality and a priceless sense of humor which made him friends all over the world. He was a master storyteller and could keep a group entertained for hours with stories of his travels. He always asked where a person was from and always had a story about their hometown or somewhere close to it and he genuinely enjoyed getting to know people.

He served as an Engineering Officer in the Navy and bragged that his ship was the closest ship to Cuba during the Bay of Pigs although technically he was boozing in Key West at the time.

He owned his own company, Stadiums Unlimited, before moving to Gainesville, FL and becoming a very successful salesman for Musco Sports Lighting until his retirement. He was a hard-working and dedicated businessman and his professional accomplishments were a source of pride for him and his family.

David is survived by his five children (that we're aware of): Kathy Horn, Michele Brown, Michael DeLong, Andre DeLong, and Eric DeLong. He was a great father, an excellent salesman, a decent grandfather, a not-so-bad husband to Margo and Margaret and an overall great guy who will be deeply missed.

A memorial service will be held at the Grinnell College Golf Course in Grinnell, Iowa on Saturday, June 3rd at 3 pm. Earlier that same day there will be a golf outing, please let one of his kids know if you'd like to join. Also if you have any photos or videos of David we would truly love it if you would share them here.

Memorial donations in David's name can be made to Wounded Warrior Project or your favorite watering hole, where you are instructed to tie a few on and tell some stories of the great David DeLong.