David C. Colander

David was born in Jamestown, NY on November 16, 1947, the son of Fred and Elsie (Clauson) Colander. A 1966 graduate of Jamestown High School, his desire to travel, explore, learn and adapt to life was fueled by being chosen as the AFS student to Germany for a year. In 2004 David retuned to Jamestown and was the commencement speaker for his niece’s JHS graduation.

After high school, David attended Columbia University in New York City where he earned a master’s degree in philosophy and a doctoral degree in economics.

David was a leader in the field of economics. He was the Christian A. Johnson Distinguished Professor of Economics, Emeritus, at Middlebury College from 1982 until his retirement in 2022. He was a well-respected teacher and a mentor both to students and other faculty members. In addition to teaching, David authored, co-authored, or edited over 60 books and more than 200 articles that have been translated into many languages and used all over the world.

He was a Brookings Policy Fellow and a consultant to Time-Life Films and the United States Congress. During his sabbatical years, he spent time traveling and teaching abroad in Israel, Denmark, Belgium, France, Sweden, and Bulgaria. One of his favorite memories was teaching capitalist economic theory to the political authorities and college professors in Bulgaria the year that Communism fell.

David was more than an academic. He and his wife designed and built a post and beam house in New Haven, Vermont and a lake house on Lake Dunmore in Vermont where they lived and raised their family. He enjoyed walking, biking, boating, and playing pinochle with family and made many great memories. After retirement, David and Pat spent winters on Sanibel Island in Florida. Recently, they moved to Houston to be close to family.

David is survived by his wife, Patrice (Peterson) Colander, by two sons, Zachary (Kristen) Colander of Houston, Texas, and Kasey Colander of New York City, and by two granddaughters, Adelaide and Amelia Colander, of Houston, TX. Also surviving are two sisters, Patricia Ann (late Gino) Micciche and Susan (late Randy) Peterson, and a brother, Daniel Colander all of Jamestown, NY. In addition, surviving are two step-sons, Mark and Nathan (Danielle) Briggs and two step-grandsons, Sebastian and Landon Briggs, a niece, several nephews, and many cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents and by a step-son, Peter (Maria) Briggs.

He was an extraordinary person who was cherished by many and will be deeply missed.