David Wakefield Youngstrom

David Wakefield Youngstrom died on March 16, 2025. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 27, 1946 to Harold John Youngstrom and Barbara WhritnerYoungstrom. David grew up in Corning, NY as the oldest of six children. He graduated from Corning/Painted Post West High School in 1964. While there he was selected for the American Field Services’ Americans Abroad program and spent a summer living in Japan, where he developed an enduring love of Taiko drumming.

He briefly attended Hobart College, leaving in 1967, taking with him a handful of lifelong friends but not much else. A principled stand against the Vietnam War led to him receiving Conscientious Objector status. He was placed in the Alternative Service program for two years, serving in the addiction units of several hospitals in New York City, before transferring to the Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital bookstore. That turn of events sent him down a path that would see him working in the publishing industry for his entire career.

In New York City, he met and fell instantly in love with Frances Mackey. The couple moved in together after their first date and, in December 1968, were married at Judson Memorial Church by Rev. Al Carmines. They remained together for 57 years.

This period also found David pursuing an interest in music writing by knocking on the door of the home “office” of Crawdaddy!, the first magazine devoted to serious rock criticism. Inspired by his gumption or possibly just still waking up, the publisher hired him on the spot to be the Office Manager–one of the magazine’s first paid employees.

In 1970, with an eye towards starting a family, the couple moved west, settling in Denver, CO. Their first son, Jason, was born in 1971, followed by another son, Ian in 1975.

David continued his career as a bookseller, first at All Books, then for a decade at Gordon’s Wholesale Books. In the early ‘70s, even while juggling parenthood and a career, he continued his passion for music, enthusiastically evangelizing for his favorites through a moonlighting gig as the rock critic for the Denver Post. This led to quite possibly the earliest mentions in the Colorado press of, among others, Bob Marley and Captain Beefheart. This insatiable love of music was generously passed down to his sons.

In 1983, the family left Denver when David became a sales rep for Harper & Row publishers, in Ann Arbor, MI, and then returned to New York to finish his tenure with the newly christened HarperCollins as their National Account Manager. He retired in 2006 and moved back to Denver where he and Frances always felt most at home. He closed out his book career working at the city’s oldest independent bookseller, The Hermitage Bookshop.

David loved to learn about the world through travel. He traversed the U.S. many times on family road trips, biked across Ireland, explored the side streets of Paris and London, and took a pilgrimage to Sado Island in Japan, the home of Taiko drumming. He was always game to indulge in his wanderlust with Frances by his side. Yet, as much as he loved traveling, one of his favorite places to be was sitting on his couch, sharing a book with his children and, later in his life, his beloved grandchildren.

Perhaps David’s biggest impact is on the friends and family that he leaves behind. He lived true to the values of putting people first. He was a naturally inquisitive and thoughtful person who would go out of his way to learn about people and support their interests in both big and small ways. He understood the lasting value of the arts, be it music, literature, or visual art, and loved sharing this appreciation with others. He transformed people's lives by being himself and encouraging people to embrace who they were.

David is survived by his wife Frances Mackey, sons Jason (Heather Tritten) of Denver and Ian (Kate Mullican) of Portland, Oregon, and granddaughters, Ada, Ellen, Celeste, and Harriet. He is also survived by his siblings Karen Snader, John (Sandy) Youngstrom, Lisa (Mike) Hess; Uncle John (Kay) Whritner; Sister-in-law Gail Carmichael; Brother-in-law Raymond Mackey; and 18 nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his siblings Steve Youngstrom and Nancy Youngstrom.

A Celebration of Life open house will be held on Sunday April 27th in Denver Colorado. For details email jason@youngstrom.com

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Colorado Public Radio.