David McKell Hadly, 81

David McKell Hadly of Kalispell, 81, affectionately known as GrandD, D1, Dave, Uncle David, Davey, DaVid, and Capt Hadly, passed away peacefully in the hospital on Monday, April 21, 2025, after a brief illness. 

Dave is survived by his devoted wife of 25 years, Lina Hadly; his beloved children, Courtney Hadly Zwirn (husband, Benjamin Zwirn) and David McKell Hadly II (wife, Elizabeth Ely Hadly), both of Arlington, Massachusetts; his grandchildren, Nathan, Daniel, Joseph, Emma and Eleanor; his sister, Mary Crowell of South Dennis, Massachusetts, his twin sister, Frances Hale of Los Gatos, California, and sister-in-law, Jane Hadly of Palo Alto, California; as well as scores of nieces, nephews and cousins. 

He was preceded in death by his father, Colonel William A. Hadly, mother, Anne McKell Hadly, brother, Colonel William "Bill" McKell Hadly, sister, Helen Anne Greeley, and nephew, William McKell Hadly II.

Dave was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and moved to Los Gatos when he was two years old. Born "with his heart on his sleeve," Dave would recount that he offered his twin sister first passage out of the womb; although she tells the story that she was tired of his corny jokes and jabs and fought her way past him. From day one, Frances recounts that "Day" was full of mischief and always found injured or sick animals—from a cherished opossum to baby birds and critters of all kinds. Throughout elementary school he frequently faked sickness to stay home from school to care for his creatures great and small while his knowing mother looked the other way. Throughout his life he would have many beloved pets and in his later years, his small dogs were constant companions.

Dave attended Bellarmine College Prep for high school where he excelled in swimming and water polo. He spent several semesters at Oregon State before earning an appointment to West Point, following the footsteps of his grandfather, class of '04, his brother, class of '55 and his father, who was a retired Army physician. Inspired by JFK to serve his country, he entered military school during a time of peace but by his graduation on June 7, 1967, as a second lieutenant, the Vietnam War was raging. So, he was quickly sent off to Fort Bragg where he trained as an army ranger in the 82nd Airborne and then shipped out to Vietnam. Dave was one of several members of the Class of 1967 profiled in the 2011 documentary, "Into Harm’s Way." As a reconnaissance platoon leader near the Cambodian border, Dave’s platoon, the "Blue Panthers," moved at night and slept during the day in a highly concentrated Viet Cong/Agent Orange geography. His two years nearly cost him an arm and earned him multiple decorations including three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and Bronze Star with valor, the Air Medal, and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. In 1969, Dave was reassigned to Berlin. Within weeks of his arrival, Dave was at a party of US military and German civilians when he heard of a man who needed to escape East Berlin to be reunited with his wife in the West. Risking court-martial and dishonorable discharge, Dave successfully smuggled the man through a checkpoint in the trunk of a car. The couple became Dave’s lifelong friends and designated Dave as godfather to their daughter. Dave retired from the Army in 1971 as a captain and married Joan Stephens in 1972. They settled in northern California where Dave attended McGeorge School of Law and went on to work for 20 years at the California State Lands Commission. During this time he became an avid fly fisherman, played racquetball, and gave to others by regularly donating blood and platelets and serving the homeless at a soup kitchen. He served on the Vestry and Day School Board of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Carmichael where his two children also attended elementary school. Dave was an active father, taking his kids on long bike rides along the American river, swimming with them in the pool, leading backpacking adventures, and coaching soccer and baseball. After his youngest graduated from high school in 1995, he retired and moved to Kalispell where he would spend the rest of his life. He married Lina in 2001, and they had a happy life with their many animals including llamas, geese, a stocked pond of rainbow trout, and several beloved dogs.  

Dave's military service was a source of great meaning in his life while also significantly impacting his health. After retirement he spent many hours on the phone with his West Point classmates and those with whom he served, and he and Lina took long road trips to reunions all over the US. In his later years he was also working on a book about his time in Vietnam and had dreams of it becoming a movie. 

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 29, at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church with a luncheon to follow. A graveside service with military honors will be at Glacier Memorial Gardens at 1:30 p.m.

Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home is caring for the family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Parks Foundation (www.give.nationalparks.org), the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org), or to a local veteran's support agency in your area.