David Lee Ewen , age 82 of Arbo Township, Itasca County, Minnesota, died on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at the Diamond Willow Assisted Living Facility with his loving family at his side.

Dave was born on April 3, 1940 in Charles City, Iowa to Raymond and Lona (Fisher) Ewen.  As a child they moved to Minnesota and built and operated a resort named Spider Shores on Spider Lake north of Grand Rapids.  It was there that he learned how to catch and clean fish, catch and sell snapping turtles, catch and sell frogs for fishing, learned carpentry work from his brother Bob, hunting, waterskiing and built lasting friendships with the guests at the resort.

Dave graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 1959, Itasca Community College in 1961 and the University of Minnesota majoring in Mortuary Science in 1963.  He joined the Marines in 1965.  He later went back to college at Bemidji State University and majored in Elementary Education graduating in 1969.  He taught school for the Anoka and Grand Rapids School districts before he began creating fireplaces and other rock work full time.  He belonged to Jaycees, Star of the North Lions Club (past President) and coached wrestling at Warba School.  He went to many hockey games for the Grand Rapids, Greenway and ICC hockey teams and attended many State High School Hockey tournaments.

Dave loved going to garage sales collecting all kinds of "stuff".  He couldn't pass up a bungee cord or a fishing bucket lying in the road.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his children, trips to Canada with friends, sailing trips in Lake Superior, cruises in the Caribbean and motorcycling with Bonnie.

Dave was preceded in death by his father Raymond Ewen, his mother Lona (Fisher) Ewen, his brother and sister-in-law Robert and Lou Ann Kilpatrick and his brother-in-law David Grant.

Dave is survived by his three children:  Michael (Shelley) Ewen, Gregory (Melissa) Ewen and Deborah (Brian) Miller and his grandchildren Grant and Nathan Ewen and Tyler Miller, his former wife Donna Grant Anderson and his loving partner Bonnie Drongeson, his two dogs Callie and Buster, close friends Bob Antonovich, Jack Berg, his coffee buddies and his nieces and nephews.

His grandchildren remember making and decorating Christmas cookies, carving pumpkins and boat rides with Fun-pa and Bonnie.

Dave, David, One Rock, Sweetheart, Grandpa, Fun-Pa, Grump-Pa, chief and Dad.  He was known by many different names and will be most remembered by the beautiful stonework he created as a stone mason.  Dave was truly an artist and passed his skills and talent on to his two sons Mike and Greg Ewen.

Dave requested to not have a funeral service.