David Breternitz Obituary

David Alan Breternitz was born Nov. 12, 1929 in Fremont, Neb. to Louis A. and Gretchen F. Breternitz. He passed away in Cortez on March 5, 2012 at the age of 82. Dave grew up in Nebraska, LaJunta, Colo. and Denver. He was an active Boy Scout and a member of the Koshare Troop in LaJunta, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Dave graduated from South High School in Denver in 1948. He received his BA in Anthropology from the University of Denver in 1952, where he was a member of the University Soccer team.

Dave and Barbara Blair Myers were married in Denver on Dec. 26, 1952. He served as a Second Lieutenant in the Army in Korea in 1953-1954. Dave attended the University of Arizona Point of Pines Archaeological Field School for two summers where he obtained material for his Master's Degree, awarded by the U of A in 1955.

Dave's first full time job in the field was as the Curator of Anthropology at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. During this period he excavated important archaeological sites in the Flagstaff and Verde Valley areas of Northern Arizona. He briefly worked as an archaeologist for the Arizona State Museum on excavation in advance of the construction of I-40 across Northern Arizona, and also as the Laboratory Director for the Joint Casas Grandes Expedition in Northern Chihuahua, Mexico before completing his PhD at the University of Arizona. His Doctoral Dissertation was a ground breaking association of prehistoric southwest pottery types with associated tree ring dates. The published version of his dissertation continues to be widely cited over 50 years later.

Dave moved his family to Boulder, Colo. in 1962 and began a successful academic career as a professor in the Department of Anthropology. While at CU, Dave mentored hundreds of undergraduate and graduate Anthropology students, many of whom went on to have successful careers of their own. While at CU Dave conducted archaeological research at Dinosaur National Monument (1963-1965); worked on the plains of Eastern Colorado, North and West Africa, and ran the Colorado Mesa Verde Research Center. In 1967-1968 Dave moved his family to Tunisia in North Africa and later to Nigeria in West Africa to work on the Kanji Rescue Aid Project. They returned in 1972 to complete the project. This gave the Breternitz family the unique opportunity to live and work in these countries and to travel the world as a family.

Dave's work at Mesa Verde for 13 summers was with both undergraduates and graduate students and was a fertile ground for many of the prominent academic, federal and contract archaeologists in the future. His work in Southwestern Colorado, based out of Mesa Verde, included a complete inventory of Mesa Verde National Park, excavations at Wetherill Mesa, Mummy Lake, BLM lands in southeastern Colorado, and work at Chimney Rock, Lion and Johnson Canyons during the development of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park.

In 1978 the University of Colorado was awarded the Dolores Archaeological Project (connected to the construction of the McPhee Dam) and at that time was the largest project in the country. Dave moved from Boulder to Dove Creek to serve as the Principal Investigator of the DAP for the next eight years. Upon completion of the project he retired from CU in 1986 and remained in Dove Creek.

Dave's son Cory and his daughter Susan followed him in the profession and worked with him at Mesa Verde and on the DAP. Dave, along with Barbara, was an avid supporter of Dove Creek and a full time Dove Creek Bulldog Booster, attending as many high school events as possible. Their youngest daughter, Nancy, graduated from DCHS in 1984.

Dave and Barbara were Grand Marshals of the annual Pick and Hoe Parade in 1992. Dave was active in the community. During his retirement years, Dave worked on projects across the Southwest run by former students. He loved being in the field and sharing his knowledge of archaeology.

Dave enjoyed travel and he and his wife made many trips to the British Isles, establishing lifelong friendships with people in England, Ireland and Scotland. Upon their grandchildren's graduations from high school, Dave and Barbara took each of them on trips to the British Isles.

Dave will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, friend, colleague and mentor. He is survived by Barbara, his wife of 59 years; his son Cory (Adrian); his daughters, Susan (Doug) Goulding and Nancy Steele; and seven grandchildren, Anne, Rob (Olivia) and Jim Goulding, Jessie Breternitz, and Lacy, Nikki and Kori Lee Steele.

He was preceded in death by his parents and by his grandson Dylan.

A Celebration of his Life will be held later this spring in the Dove Creek High School gym. Arrangements were made through Ertel Funeral Home. For further information or to send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.