David "Bones" Bethka

FLORENCE – On Saturday, May 25, 2024, after a life filled with adventure, travel and hard work, Bones lost his gallant battle against Bronchiectasis, a terrible lung disease caused by Agent Orange which he acquired in Viet Nam. He was fifteen days shy of his 81^st birthday. 

He was born on June 10, 1943, in Los Angeles, CA to Elma and Otis Bethka. At the end of WWII, he and his family moved to Billings, MT where, at the age of 12, he began working at a variety of odd jobs until he had saved enough money to buy an old wrecked BSA motorcycle. By the age of 14, he finished the rebuild and proceeded to ride it at a high rate of speed around town until he was stopped by the local police who took his driver’s license away from him before he was old enough to get one.

He graduated from Billings Senior High School and enrolled at Eastern Montana State College – University of Montana. In his junior year, he had to take a full-time job before he could continue his education. Shortly thereafter, he was drafted where he served as a combat infantryman in the 173 Airborne Brigade in Viet Nam from 1965 through 1967. He returned and reenrolled in college where he met and married his wife of 56 years, Lorraine “Lanie” Shoup Bethka. It was a marriage of soul mates and fellow adventurers.

Dave worked as a journeyman carpenter and Lanie as a schoolteacher. They saved enough money to take their first “long” backpacking trip to Europe and North Africa. They were caught in Libya’s revolution from Italy. They were deported to the border with Tunisia without transportation and decided to backpack across the northern Sahara Desert. Five weeks later, they arrived in Marrakesh, Morocco. In later trips, Bones and his wife backpacked across Europe, Mexico, Central and part of South America, Canada and the US.  Bones and his wife also traveled to Jamaica, the island of San Andres, Aruba and Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean as well as the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and Hawaii. Bones spoke several languages and was able to communicate with many different people. He loved learning about other people and cultures. He was an avid reader and student of history.

Bones lived in Seattle, WA; Billings, MT; Kansas City, MO; Tucson, AZ; Phoenix, AZ and Florence, AZ. He was versatile and able to parlay his skills into a variety of careers. He owned and operated a construction company; he was the Senior Price Analyst for the Marley Cooling Tower Company; he was the Civil Engineering Tech and Construction Manager/Inspector for Luke Air Force Base, and the Off-Site Inspector for the City of Apache Junction.

He retired to his home outside of Florence, AZ where he continued his hobbies of woodcarving and building projects. He is survived by his wife, nieces, nephews and cousins. He was a great raconteur of outrageously funny stories. His laugh was infectious. His heart was kind. He cheerfully helped anyone who needed it.

His wake will be held later in the year when friends and family are able to assemble. He is missed.