In Loving Memory of David R Braden IV
June 16, 1952 - January 23, 2025
David Ritchey Braden IV was born in Marshall, Missouri on June 16, 1952. His family moved to Colorado two years later and settled on a beautiful acre of property on the outskirts of Golden, Colorado, where he spent his formative years and later returned with his high school sweetheart-turned-wife, Jeannette, to raise their two children, David and Amy. After passing the Colorado Bar Exam, David worked as a lawyer for many years, co-founding the firm of Springman, Braden, Wilson, and Pontius in 1997. In 2004, he sold his portion of that business in order to focus on his true passion: sustainable gardening.
David was devoted to making the world a better place by building communities that existed alongside nature in balanced ecosystems. In 2013 he founded the Living Systems Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching the wisdom of sustainable living, building habitat, nurturing communities, and strengthening ecosystems. For more information about LSI and David’s vision for a brighter future, or instructions on how to donate to the institute, please visit https://www.livingsystemsinst.org.
David passed away on January 23, 2025. He is survived by his wife, siblings, children, grandchildren, and the many friends and connections he made during his life. He will be remembered with love.
In keeping with his ideals of people living in harmony with nature, David’s remains were turned into water through the process of water cremation and used to enrich the soil on his land. David’s family intends to plant a sapling in honor of his life and to signify his continued presence on the property he was so connected to.
A celebration of life is scheduled for June 14, 2025 on the acre of paradise David called home. If you would like to be notified when more details about this event become available: