of Conway, AR

July 1, 1936 - August 4, 2024

David Edwin Laughlin passed away on August 4th, 2024 at the age of 88. He was the middle child born on July 1st, 1936 in Ida Grove, Iowa. He spent his early years in Omaha, NE until he joined the US Army as a Medical Specialist in 1955. He served 3 years in the 68th Armored Division with a 14-month tour in Germany.

Dave never met a stranger. He was a storyteller and his larger-than-life personality animated his narrations. He was a fan of all sports, especially when his beloved Cornhuskers were competing. You might not have guessed it at first but he was a big ol' softy at heart.

Most of his earning years were spent on a car dealership lot. He took care of multiple generations of Conway residents from first cars to their last while working at Jodie Brown Motors for over 20 years. When he retired, he could not stay away from the people and hired on at Honda World as a driver and worked right up to his 80th birthday. His gift of gab served him well as he shuttled customers, delivered and picked up auto parts all over the state, checked in with every mechanic in the area and did little tasks around the dealership to help. When his work life came to an end, Dave transitioned into an errand runner for his wife, Linda. On any given day, you could find him on various shopping excursions, grabbing coffee and cookies and catching up with friends. For many years, Thursdays were a ritual lunch with his dearest friends, Ben Freasier of Little Rock and Don Miller, his high school best friend who moved to Conway just so they could hang out in retirement.

Dave is survived by his wife of 47 years, Linda Linch Laughlin; his children, Joe Laughlin (Jessica) of Maumelle, AR and Nina (Kent) Crutchfield of Romance, AR; his sister, Ann Nicholson of Omaha, NE and numerous other family members all over the US.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Charles Laughlin and Vera Genevieve Sharp Laughlin of Omaha, Nebraska; as well as his younger brother, Larry Laughlin of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Because Dave never forgot the life-sustaining support he and his brother received when his family fell on hard times and he was so proud to have served our country, in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his honor to either the Omaha Home for Boys https://ohb.org/donate/ or the Gary Sinise Foundation https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/.

A special thanks to the nurses, doctors and support staff at the McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital who cared for Dave during the months preceding his death. You showered Dave and his family with kindness, care and honor that will always be remembered.

Services will be held for family only.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-McNutt Funeral Home
650 Central Landing Blvd.
Conway, AR  72032
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com