BY DOUG ROUSE
David Wintermute first heard about volunteering at Marian House while teaching Sunday School…using magic!
“Yes, I’m a gospel magician, and I was illustrating Bible verses with magic tricks at Black Forest Lutheran Church when one of the members mentioned their team helped at Marian House. He asked if I wanted to join—and I’m the kind of person who always says ‘yes’ when someone needs help—so I started volunteering around 2019. It was fun, and by now I’ve done about every job except serving soup.”
Dave has always followed his father’s example of serving others. Born in Indiana, he grew up mostly in Arizona. “Dad taught Sunday School in both Indiana and Arizona. He often volunteered in the church, and that inspired me to teach Sunday School even as I moved around in the military.”
Dave entered the Air Force while at the University of Arizona. “I walked into my dorm one day to see a crowd of students listening to news about Vietnam. At one point, an ROTC cadet said, ‘That’s it! This means we are going to war, and I quit.’ The idea of an officer quitting when things got tough struck me hard. So, even though I had not completed my physics degree, I joined up to replace the quitter.” He completed the two-year ROTC program, but the war ended the week before he took his oath of office.
“So the Air Force sent me into space sciences and missile warning at NORAD. During my tenure, they sent me for a Ph.D. and had me work on rocket programs.”
At each base where they were stationed, Dave and his wife, Betsy, found a church where he would teach Sunday School, just like his dad. In addition to his gospel magic presentations, they joined a medieval reenactment group to make history come alive for students. “As a hobby, we joined the Society of Creative Anachronism and would go to schools to show costumes, courtesy, armor, and combat.”
His service in the church has continued since their return to Colorado Springs in retirement.
At Marian House, Dave has found the fellowship and camaraderie of fellow volunteers to be the most fulfilling part of volunteering. “It is satisfying to know that there are other good people out there who are willing to give their time and effort to help those in need.” If you see him in the kitchen or cafeteria one day, just call him ‘Dr. Dave.’
“I love the alliteration—but I’m a retired rocket scientist, not a medical doctor, so don’t ask me for aspirin.”
And his advice for those seeking meaningful service? “Do it: Volunteer at least once to see what it’s like to help others.”
Doug Rouse is the Volunteer Director for Catholic Charities of Central Colorado. This article appeared in the January 2026 issue of Volunteer Voice.
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