Peterborough, NH – David John Bumgardner, 95, of Peterborough, passed away peacefully November 24, 2025, at the Village at RiverMead, surrounded by his loving family. David was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on October 29, 1930, the son of Louis Todd and Elizabeth (Bullock) Bumgardner.
David attended St. Paul Central High School, the University of Minnesota, and Macalester College. His education was further honed by studies at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Arizona, and the University of the Andes in Bogota, Colombia.
David proudly served his country as a medic in the Air Force during the Korean War. Long before driving a car, he learned to fly airplanes. His business career was dedicated to developing overseas markets and establishing subsidiary companies in foreign countries for Fortune 500 companies. This work allowed him to travel to over 80 countries and live for extended periods in Bogota, Colombia, and Madrid, Spain. He finished his distinguished career as a World Product Business Manager with the Norton Company, now Saint Gobain Corporation.
In 1983, David moved his family to Dorset, Vermont, where he ultimately retired in 1997. He immediately immersed himself in town politics, serving as Chairman of the Dorset Prudential Committee, a Justice of the Peace, and on the boards of Merck Forest and the Dorset Historical Society. He also devoted time to working with Habitat for Humanity and served as President of the Dorset Corn Exchange, a historic men’s club. Displaying his unique blend of interests, David was also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Sudbury, Massachusetts Minute Man and Militia, based at The Wayside Inn, participating in many recreations of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
David’s active life was filled with hobbies, including golf, tennis, skiing, fly fishing, gardening, and hiking the Vermont mountains with his two golden retrievers. He and his family were 30-year members of the Dorset Field Club, where David especially delighted in golf and playing platform tennis, even when the temperatures dipped well below freezing in the winter. He also had a deep love for classical music culture.
In 2013, David and his wife of 68 years, Gail Whitney Wilson Bumgardner, moved to The Village at RiverMead to be close to their daughter. David quickly became an active and beloved member of his new community, serving as President of the Resident Council. He cherished the new friendships he developed and enjoyed filling his retirement with golf and time spent with his grandchildren, cheering them on through countless games of soccer and lacrosse during their high school and college years.
David is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Gail Whitney (Wilson) Bumgardner; his two children, David John Bumgardner Jr., of Colorado Springs, CO, and Sarah Todd (Bumgardner) Quinlan and her husband Mike of Rindge, NH; four grandchildren, Brandon James Bumgardner, David Michael Quinlan, Emily Louise Quinlan, and Matthew Paul Quinlan. He also leaves behind nieces and nephews, Elizabeth Bumgardner Petersen, Tom Bumgardner, Jean Bumgardner Bauman, and Anne Bumgardner Dahl.
David was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Todd Bumgardner and Elizabeth (Bullock) Bumgardner; his brother, Richard L. Bumgardner of St. Paul, MN; and a niece, Nancy Bumgardner.
David will be buried in his much-loved town of Dorset, Vermont.
In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and the Breast Cancer Society.
To share a memory, or to leave the family a message of condolence, please visit David’s tribute page at www.jellisonfuneralhome.com
Visit Legacy.com Page