David Gerald Hohbach

David Gerald Hohbach, age 49, of Ames, IA, passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, April 8. 

He was born on November 26^th, 1973, in Cherokee, IA, to Gerald and Jeanette (Gengler) Hohbach. David was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic faith. He graduated from Marcus Meriden Cleghorn in 1992. David continued his education at Iowa State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering.  He worked as a Senior Software Engineer for various companies.  David never left Ames as he was an avid cyclone fan. He enjoyed tailgating at ISU football games, especially the Cookie’s BBQ stand.

Although David had a life filled with health issues, he never complained but instead lived life to the fullest.  He had many hobbies that kept him busy.  He enjoyed smoking meats and made the best brisket and chili. He had a very large collection of kitchen ware.  One of the last things he mentioned to us was, “Don’t touch my cooking knives!”  He used to tell us we didn’t have “good” knives at our homes.

Fishing was another passion of David’s.  Every August he would go out on Big Spirit Lake. He enjoyed “catching and releasing”. Through the years, David acquired many fishing rods and tackle boxes so he always had plenty of options.

David enjoyed skeet shooting and playing golf.  In his younger years, he enjoyed playing basketball, checkers, chess, video games, reading encyclopedias for fun and was the number one fan of Star Wars. 

Animals were also a passion of David’s.  While growing up, he had a Samoyed dog he named “Sonny” after Sonny Crockett from the TV show Miami Vice.  He volunteered at Furry Friends Refuge in West Des Moines and also cared for two cats with feline leukemia.  He was planning to get his own Samoyed to keep him company.

Astronomy was another one of David’s interests.  He was on the board of the Des Moines Astronomical Society.  He shared his passion with others at the Sanford Planetarium and Museum in Cherokee and at many public star and planet gazing events. He would set up his telescope and help those interested in experiencing the night sky.

David enjoyed ghost hunting.  He spent the night at the Villisca Ax Murder House and also visited many locations including haunted mental hospitals.

As a kid, David grew up on a farm near Cleghorn with his sisters, Deb and Denise. On family trips, David was the one who “slept on the cot” with his large velour green blanket he lovingly referred to as his “grass blanket”.  As an adult he still had a love for cozy blankets.

David was preceded in passing by his maternal grandparents Joseph and Mary Gengler and his paternal grandparents Albert and Erma Hohbach. To carry on his legacy, he leaves behind his father, Gerald Hohbach, mother Jeanette (Gengler) Hohbach, sister Debra (Mike) Herring, sister Denise (Dan) Pottroff, nephews, niece, great niece, and great nephew along with the many friends he gained through his adventures. 

A visitation at Greenwood-Schubert Funeral Home in Cherokee is scheduled for Sunday, April 16, from 3-5 pm with prayer service at 5 pm. A celebration of life is planned for Monday, April 17, 10:30 AM at Immaculate Conception (IC) Catholic Church, Cherokee.