ROCHESTER – Pastor Dave Terhune, 62, of 3601 Manitou Park Road, Rochester, died at 1:45 a.m. March 7, 2012, in his residence.
He was born Jan. 17, 1950, in Bluffton, to Thomas “Big Tom” and Dorothy Steffen Terhune. On Aug. 8, 1970, he married Susan Captain, who survives.
He was a 1968 graduate of Bluffton High School. He was a U.S. Air National Guard veteran. During his six- week boot camp he shared platoon membership with former U.S. President George W. Bush. He served as a jet engine mechanic. He was a radio dispatcher for the Bluffton Police Department. He initiated the Police Athletic League Club, which helped more than 200 kids daily.
In 1975, he took classes at Taylor University while accepting a two-point charge, pastoring at the Petroleum United Methodist Church and the Phoenix United Methodist Church, both in central Indiana near Upland. Following his graduation from Taylor in 1981, he returned to Bluffton and started Sonlight Wesleyan Church. In 1984, he was sent to Bedford, Texas, where they founded the second Sonlight Wesleyan Church. He then returned to the Midwest and became the assistant Pastor of Kentwood Community Church, Kentland, Mich. Moving to Plymouth, he pastored Plymouth Wesleyan Church for nine years. After leaving the Plymouth area, he served as the senior pastor of the Lakeview Wesleyan Church, Marion, for four years and then spent seven years leading the Park Place Wesleyan Church, St. Petersburg, Fla. In 2009 he returned to Indiana and started a new Wesleyan Church in Rochester.
He was bestowed an honorary doctorate from Georgetown University.
Also surviving are a daughter, Nicole Terhune, Indianapolis; two sons, the Rev. Brad (and spouse Kari) Terhune, Marion, and Clayton Terhune (and fiance Mackenzie Depferd), Dallas, Texas; four grandchildren; a sister, Kim Smith, Fort Wayne; and two brothers, Keith (and spouse Patty) Terhune, Olympia, Wash., and Kent Terhune, Bluffton.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Plymouth Wesleyan Church with Walker Conley and Pastors Don Bayne and John Branch officiating. ***** Memorials may be made to the church’s benevolent fund at The Cross, 100 W. 3rd St., Rochester, IN 46975.
