David Michael Soulen was born November 7, 1945 to Barbara Hazel Cutright Soulen and
Robert J. Soulen in Millington, NJ. He passed July 15, 2020 at Spanish Cove Retirement
Village under the care of Crossroads Hospice & Palliative Care.
He graduated with a B.A. in Botany from Drew University in 1967, and an M.S. in Plant
Pathology from The Pennsylvania State University in 1972. During graduate school and
following graduation he worked as a plant pathologist for the Department of Agriculture in
the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. David returned to New Jersey in 1974 and began his
career in cemetery management. He retired in 2010 after 25 years as President of
Fairmount Cemetery Association of Newark and Somerset Hills. He served in the NJ
Cemetery Association in various roles from Treasurer to President, the NJ Allied Memorial
Council, and was appointed to the NJ Cemetery Board by Governor Chris Christie in 2012.
He loved hiking, fishing, painting, traveling, hunting for the perfect Root Beer, and worked
to preserve the legacy of his grandfather Henry J. Soulen, Illustrator. David was involved
with multiple youth programs including the musical theater group at First Presbyterian
Church at Caldwell, NJ and Pack 5 of the Boy Scouts of America in Montclair, NJ.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Robert J. Soulen, Jr. and Richard B. Soulen, and his son, Stephen M. Soulen. He is survived by his wife of 34 years Leslie
(Munro) Soulen; son, Thomas R. Soulen and wife Dorothy; daughter, Dana N. Soulen;
sisters-in-law, Rose Soulen, Nancy Soulen, and Sue Swenson and husband Paul; brother-in-law, Andy Munro and wife Amy; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Interment will be at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge, NJ at a later date. In
lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation of
Oklahoma, Spanish Cove Retirement Village Memorial Fund, or Crossroads Hospice &
Palliative Care, Oklahoma City.
Online condolences may be signed at http://www.yandafuneral.com. Arrangements are under the
direction of Yanda & Son Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Yukon, OK.
