David "Dave" Allen Rasmussen

David Allen Rasmussen, age 86, passed away Saturday, March 22nd 2025 in the company of his family.

Friends may greet the family during visitation at Hugeback-Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, 2025. A rosary will be said for all who wish to pray with the family prior to the visitation at 3:30p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, March 27th at 10:30 a.m. with Rev. James Goerend officiating at Holy Family Parish in New Hampton, Iowa. Internment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery following the Mass. The family welcomes those who wish to celebrate Dave’s life with lunch at the church following interment.

David “Dave” was born February 18, 1939, in Eagle Grove, Iowa as the third of three sons to Howard and Dorothy (Wilson) Rasmussen of Hardy, Iowa. Dave graduated from the Renwick-Hardy Consolidated High School (now Boone Valley High School) in 1957. Dave served in the Iowa Army National Guard unit of Eagle Grove from 1957 through his honorable discharge in 1960. David graduated from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and education, with a minor in physics. David later received a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1973.

After graduating from Wartburg, Dave began his teaching career in Lawler, Iowa with the Turkey Valley Community School District as a high school mathematics teacher, while living in New Hampton. That’s when and where Dave met his future wife and the love of his life, Kay Dunn. Kay was a waitress at Holly’s Café in downtown New Hampton, which Dave frequently visited. After dating for about a year, Dave and Kay were married in August 1963 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in New Hampton. Dave and Kay moved to their current home on South Broadway in the fall of 1964, a house that Dave helped build and later added on to in 1979. Dave and Kay have lived in the same home for 60 of their 61 years of marriage. Dave and Kay welcomed their first son, Randy, to this house in August 1965 and then Terry in September 1967.

Dave taught mathematics and computer science at New Hampton Community High School from 1964 through 1994, when he retired. A natural teacher, Dave loved to teach others and was passionate about learning, mathematics, and computer science, the last subject which was largely self-taught. He always hoped to inspire his students with a passion for numeracy and lifelong learning. Dave was named the Young Educator of the Year in 1973 by the New Hampton Jaycees, a lifelong source of pride.

For recreation, Dave enjoyed hunting with his fellow teachers, fishing with family and friends (his prize: 6 lbs, 2 oz. 26 inch walleye caught in June 1997 on a Canadian fishing trip), card playing with family and friends (pinochle, 500, euchre, and hearts), puzzles of all kinds, watching sports on television with his sons (especially football), and later travelling through the US with Kay after he retired since Dave was very patriotic from his military service and the history of his family in serving the country. So it was with much pride that Dave received a Veteran’s Quilt of Valor in 2021 in front of his family which was stitched by one of his former students, Elaine Keating of Cedar Falls.

Dave is survived by his wife Kay, sons Randy (Soo) Rasmussen of Easton, CT and Terry (Cami) Rasmussen of Solon, IA; grandchildren Micah, Soren, and Norah Rasmussen of Easton, CT, Cari Ann, Ryan, and John Rasmussen of Solon, IA, Jessica (Rex) Bryant of Solon, IA; great grandchildren Tyler, Max, and Evelyn; brother in-law Joe Dunn, Elma, IA; and sisters-in-law Judy Dunn and Anita Rasmussen, Webster City, Iowa.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents Howard and Dorothy Rasmussen, brothers Gerald and Donald Rasmussen, in-laws Ben and Agnes Dunn, brothers-in-law Bernard and Leonard Dunn, Francis Kramer and sisters-in-law Helen Dunn, Mary Kramer, and Avis Rasmussen.