David Nile Jordan

David “Dave” Nile Jordan (71) of Gold Canyon, Arizona, passed away on September 21, 2023 in Show Low, Arizona, with his loving wife Tracie by his side.

Dave was born on September 17, 1952 to Robert and Phyllis (Harkins) Jordan in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  He grew up in Van Meter, Iowa, and embraced everything about being an “Iowa Farm Boy”.  Spending time at his grandparents’ farm, fishing in the Raccoon River, and even bailing hay brought back fond memories for him.  Dave graduated from Van Meter High School (class of 1970).  At age 14, Dave experienced an incident while eating at a local restaurant with his mom wherein he made the decision to assist an officer responding to a couple of unruly teens when one of the teens reached for the officer’s gun.  The officer thanked him, and it was at that moment Dave decided he wanted to be a police officer.  When he told his mom, he remembered her exact words, “over my dead body”.   

Dave began his law enforcement career as a patrolman with the Waukee, Iowa Police Department in 1974.  He quickly moved up in rank and by 1978 was Chief of Police.  He transferred to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office in Adel, Iowa in 1978 where he served as a Deputy Sheriff until 1983.  From 1983 to 1984, he was a Deputy Sheriff with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office in Fort Collins, Colorado.  A visit to Arizona in June, while several feet of snow was still in Estes Park, made his decision to move to this warmer climate an easy one.

In 1984, Dave was sworn in a peace officer for the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office in Florence, Arizona.  He served as a Deputy Sheriff from 1984 thru 1987.  He was promoted to Detective in 1987, Sergeant in 1990, and Lieutenant in 1994. In 2000, Dave was one of only three law enforcement officers in Arizona selected to attend the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia.  He completed the eleven-week training course and graduated from the 200th Session of the FBI National Academy in March.   While he was at the Academy, in February, Dave was promoted to Captain of the Sheriff’s Office via a telephonic interview.  As Captain, Dave commanded several units, including Special Operations, SWAT, K-9, Homicide, Narcotics, Burglary, and Internal Affairs, Dive Team and Hostage Negotiations.  In 2005, after serving in law enforcement for over 30 years, Dave made the decision to “hang up his belt” and retire.  However, his blue blood continued to run a bit longer and he stayed on as Commander of the Reserve Unit for Pinal County from 2005 to 2013.

In his personal life, in 1991, Dave met Tracie, a single mom raising her two young children in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Although Tracie preferred “urban life” and knew very little about “country life”, they shared a love of exploring nature, being outdoors, and camping in the White Mountains of Arizona.  Dave and Tracie were married in 2002 and moved the family to Gold Canyon, up against the majestic Superstition Mountains.  In 2008, Dave became “Papa” to their first grandchild, a new kind of love he had never known but embraced it with all his heart.  Giving rides on his motorcycle to teaching them how to bait and cast a fishing line, Dave found his way into his grandchildren’s hearts.

Dave is survived by his wife Tracie Linn (Edwards) Jordan, children Jessica Linn Harwood (Joshua) and Jason Carl Thiele (Patricia), and five grandchildren (Brooke, Brynne, Haylee, Evan, & Adelynn).  He will always be in our hearts and missed by all.

A Celebration of Dave’s amazing life will be held on November 9, 2023 at 11:00 am, at the Gold Canyon United Methodist Church located at 6640 South Kings Ranch Road, Gold Canyon, Arizona 85118.   In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Church (www.goldcanyonumc.org) or to the 100 Club of Arizona (www.100club.org) in Dave’s honor would be appreciated.