David John DeCoux

David John DeCoux (née Smith) died on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota at the age of 52. The cancer that killed him was unexpected and sudden. He fought bravely, but the cancer was discovered too late for medical intervention. David was born on November 4, 1972, in Duluth Minnesota. He graduated from Cloquet High School in 1991. David attended several colleges, including Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, The University of Minnesota Duluth, Harvard Extension School, and Brown Institute where he received a technical certification for software engineering. David's natural acuity in the technical space and his penchant for leadership quickly propelled his career forward. He was a vice president of software engineering by the time he was 28 years old. Over the years, he developed software in multiple industries, including logistics, medicine, hospitality, and finance. Most recently he worked as a principal software architect at RBC Wealth Management Financial. David had a creative spirit which expressed itself in music and poetry. In school, he sang in the choir and learned to play the drums. He drove his teachers crazy with his constant drumming, but it was an excellent avenue for his irrepressible energy. As a young man, he began singing in local bands and learned to play the guitar. His passion for music continued to grow over the years. He loved listening to music and had a large and diverse collection of music at home. He enjoyed seeing live music and jamming with friends. He was always composing new songs and writing down the poetry and lyrics that came into his head. He began posting his music, short stories, humor, and poems online and received attention nationally and globally. In recent years, he started a new band, PyroScene, with whom he recorded music, posted online, and played live in the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota. In 2005, David married the love of his life, Lucille DeCoux. They built a family in St. Paul and then Bloomington, MN and had twenty happy years together. He was a devoted father to his two children, making every effort to help them develop their strengths and find their true selves. A phrase he often repeated to his family was, "There is only love in this house." David sought to surround himself with beauty, both artistic and natural. He crafted glorious wildflower gardens, took his family on long walks in the woods, biked on rural and urban paths, and vacationed in pristine locations. One of David's favorite things to do was to sit with his wife and a glass of wine, listen to music, and enjoy a beautiful view. David was charismatic and gregarious. His smile was as infectious as his humor. He was an engaging conversationalist and loved to talk for hours with friends and family. He especially enjoyed hanging out with a friend or two by a bonfire, talking late into the night about politics, software, music, and biking. David will be sorely missed. He is survived by his wife Lucille, children Adder and Henry, mother Dorothy DeCoux, stepfather Curt DeCoux, father Richard Smith, and siblings Steve Smith (Tara), Heidi DeCoux, and Dominic DeCoux (Amanda). We will honor David's memory on Friday, November 7th at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapel, 5000 West 50th Street, Edina. There will be a visitation at 5pm, followed by a memorial service at 7pm, and a reception following. If you would like to contribute to Adder and Henry's college funds, please follow the link: www.ugift529.com and enter the code T14-C5W for Adder (Adele)'s fund and Q8L-B4Y for Henry's fund. To make a charitable donation in David's name, please send a check to First Nation's Kitchen in Minneapolis and write "in memory of David DeCoux" on the memo line. May he rest in peace.

Tributes

David John DeCoux

November 4, 1972 - October 28, 2025

Tributes

David John DeCoux

November 4, 1972 - October 28, 2025

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