David came to us from Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vt., where he was active in soccer and tennis and graduated as valedictorian. At Princeton, David was a member of the Quadrangle Club. He graduated cum laude with a degree in civil engineering.
David began his career in manufacturing management at Clairol and later worked for The Coffee Connection and Starbucks. Returning to Vermont in 1996, David spent the next 20 years with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, where he was most recently vice president of Portion Pack Manufacturing.
David married his soul mate, Lori Bessery, in 2000. He enjoyed going to his children’s activities, especially at the ice hockey rink. David enjoyed recreational ice hockey as well as hiking, skiing, golf, and tennis. In the summers he delighted in spending time with family and friends waterskiing, fishing, swimming, or just relaxing.
The class shares its sadness with his wife, Lori; children Alex and Kate; father Charles Tilgner III ’56 and his wife Elisabeth; brother Charles “Chips” ’81 and his wife Dina; and in-laws, aunts, nieces, nephews, and extended family. He was predeceased by his mother, Linda Tilgner.