Honoring Tradition.
Celebrating Life.

David Ziegert

October 26, 1951 - October 11, 2020
Wichita, KS

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Rosary

Thursday, October 15, 2020
7:00 PM EDT
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
124 N. Roosevelt St.
Wichita, KS 67208

Service

Friday, October 16, 2020
10:00 AM EDT
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
124 N. Roosevelt St.
Wichita, KS 67208

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
124 N. Roosevelt St.
Wichita, KS 67208

Society of St. Vincent De Paul
124 N. Roosevelt St.
Wichita, KS 67208

Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office
2812 East English St.
Wichita, KS 67211

Life Story / Obituary


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With his family by his side, David Ziegert found no greater joy. A hard working man who provided well for those entrusted to his care, he was loved abundantly and admired by many. David possessed a kind and considerate nature. A gentle man, he was a deep thinker and pondered much. For anyone who came to know David, they knew of his true, authentic nature that never wavered. Deeply committed to his faith, he led by way of example, and for these things and so much more, he will be deeply missed.

Although conservative in nature, the decade of the 1950s sculpted the culture of America. Everything from music to movies, art and media to beloved comic strips and cartoons introduced households to a whole new way of life. With manufacturing and home construction on the rise, the economy boomed, and the American dream was being realized. Indeed a time of change, this was especially true for William Charles and Constance Clementine (Lewis) Ziegert of South Bend, Indiana when on October 26, 1951, they celebrated the birth of their little boy, David Thomas Ziegert.

To support their growing family, David’s father worked for Amico Oil while his mother remained at home as a homemaker. David was the youngest of three sons, joining his older brothers, William and John. Due to their age differences, it was somewhat difficult for the boys to be very close. William was six years older than David, and there was a four year gap between him and his brother, John. David was in the 8th grade when John was finishing high school and William was already away at college. After their college years they each moved to different states but always got together along with their parents for the holidays. David was fortunate to have his mother and father in his life until their eventual deaths in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

The holidays were always a special time in the Ziegert home. David’s father absolutely loved decorating for Christmas, indoors and out. They never celebrated Easter as a religious day but did participate in Easter bunny festivities. Numerous memories were made during the summers at David’s maternal grandmother’s cottage at Lake Shipshewana in Indiana. His grandma Lewis always made these times together extra special. Treasured times were spent there with his brothers fishing, learning to sail and as a family taking long, Sunday afternoon car rides. Most of their family vacations were spent visiting family members.

Due to his father’s employment with Amico, David and his family relocated often. Over the years they resided in Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, Salina, Kansas as well as various other areas of the country. One time as a youngster growing up in Salina, Kansas he camped overnight at a friend’s house. After returning home the next day he was quite tired and to get away from the bright sunlight in his room, David crawled under his bed and fell fast asleep. To his parent’s dismay after not being able to locate him, they even called the police when to their surprise David appeared only to tell them he had been under his bed the entire time! A typical young boy, David enjoyed riding his bike and catching frogs and turtles at the cottage at Lake Shipshewana. At one point he and his friends ordered a pet alligator from a mail order and collectively looked after it.

David’s mother was an active member of the Christian Science Church. His father was not a participant of any faith community and stayed at home on Sundays while he and his mother attended church. Through to his high school years, David remained committed to attending Sunday school.

While growing up, David found it difficult to make friends with all the moves his family made. He attended multiple elementary schools and each seemed to have a different grading system and curriculum which often found David either behind or ahead from his previous school. These times proved to be stressful for David as it made it difficult for him to make friends and gain confidence in school.

Even so, David was able to participate on the gymnastics team in high school and did quite well for himself. His team competed in many area competitions where David was considered a top gymnast. He went on to graduate from Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, Illinois with the Class of 1969. Despite his early hardships, David excelled in his studies. He furthered his education and graduated from Michigan State University on a gymnastics scholarship and continued the competition circuit. There he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in economics and a minor in math from 1969 to 1973. In addition, David later earned his Masters of Business Administration from Western Michigan University.

David met the love of his life, Dolores “Dee” Uzarski while working in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Foremost Insurance Group as a marketing manager. A young Polish girl from the city’s Westside, Dee worked as a Registered Respiratory Therapist at Butterworth Hospital, now known as Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. They initially met at a party of mutual friends but did not begin dating until later. A little shy at the onset, Dee thought Dave was really cute but was too afraid to engage in conversation to get to know him.

During the summer of 1975, David and Dee began dating and on March 4, 1978, they were blessed in marriage at the former Mount of St. Mary Chapel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Avid sailors, the newlyweds honeymooned in the Out Islands of the Bahamas. After driving to Florida, they took a plane to the Bahamas where they rented a monohull boat. There they spent their time sailing to the different islands exploring and eating the native foods.

After returning from their honeymoon, David and Dee first lived at Ramblewood Apartments in nearby Wyoming, Michigan before moving to a rental home in East Grand Rapids. Newton Highlands, Massachusetts became their new home when David took a job in 1979 with Koch Industries. There they eventually bought their first home in Hull, Massachusetts. They lived to Madrid, Spain for six months for David’s job and from there moved to Wichita, Kansas which became their permanent home where David spent the remainder of his days.

During their time in Hull, Massachusetts, David became the proud father to their daughter, Amelia Claire Gabriele Ziegert who was the delight of his life. He was a loving father. He held high standards of responsibility for his daughter, teaching her about financial management, independence, and the importance of an education for a sustainable income. David was always there for advice and assistance as needed.

David and Dee took Amelia to Disneyland when she was five years old and they went again as a family in 2015. When Amelia was a toddler they would often take their sailboat to Cheney Lake in Kansas and spend the weekend there sailing and sleeping right on their boat. These times created wonderful memories until the boat was later destroyed in a tornado. Most of their vacation time as a family was spent visiting family in Michigan, Indiana, Colorado or Idaho.

As a couple, David and Dee continued their love for sailing. They spent many weekends sailing on their Prindle catamaran on Lake Michigan and other lakes. They even competed in sailing races with a large group of likeminded people they met. When they moved to the Boston area, they bought a 26 foot catamaran and sailed nearly every weekend around the Boston area and Cape Cod. The boat had sleeping quarters which allowed them to anchor at quaint coastal harbors and explore the towns and enjoy local eateries. One of their most memorable excursions was a trip to Nantucket, 30 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod.

David possessed a work ethic of integrity and honor. Over the years he enjoyed a career which was diverse and quite enjoyable. He served as the Marketing Manager with Foremost Insurance Group and in 1979 he accepted a sales position with Koch Industries in their Petroleum Coke division for national and international markets. In 1997 Dave accepted a position with TCP Petcoke Corporation in New York City where he remained until he died. A great asset and support to the TCP team, he was known for his impressive knowledge about the industry and dedication to his work. He considered retiring in 2021, but really wanted to work even longer as he truly loved his work and all his colleagues and business associates at TCP.

Faith played a vital role in David’s later years. Although he was raised in the Christian Science community of believers, Dee and Amelia were devout in their Catholic faith. David joined the Catholic Church in 2007, but joined his wife and daughter at Mass well before he became Catholic. David loved their home parish at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Wichita where he was deeply committed and involved. David also volunteered as a server at the Lord’s Diner, a community-wide organization that serves nutritious meals with dignity and respect to anyone who is hungry.

In addition, David was also an active member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. He shared his time and talents as a home visitor to clients requesting help. He also bought, packaged and delivered holiday meals to needy families at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. As a couple they accepted donations for furniture and household items, storing them in their own garage until they found someone who had a particular need. David was also a dedicated sponsor with AA and was an inspiration to many, always encouraging others with addictions to achieve sobriety, one day at a time.

David enjoyed a wide variety of interests. When it came to dining out, he preferred quiet, mom and pop types of diners and cafes. He loved his mother’s cooking and recipes, although David was not a big cook himself. He did enjoy sitting down for a good baked chicken meal or beef tenderloin, BBQ ribs along with some mashed potatoes and gravy. He liked music and knew all the words to all the songs. Some of his favorite artists included everything from Santana, Bob Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Heart, and George Benson to Roberta Flack, Henry Mancini and his Orchestra to Pachebel Kanon and the Moody Blues, just to name a few.

E.E. Cummings was his favorite author but David could always be found reading a Consumer Report, The Wall Street Journal or a car magazine. He counted his beloved 1977 Porsche as one of his favorite possessions, yet he considered his most sentimental and most cherished items to be those passed down from his grandparents, mother, and father. In his down time he loved sitting out on the back deck relaxing with his beloved canine companions.

There is no greater man than one who lives by his convictions and cherishes those entrusted to his care, and David Ziegert was such a man. The foundation of his family, David worked hard to provide for those he loved, and as their foundation, he led by way of example in all he said and did with integrity. David was in many respects a quiet, introverted man; a deep thinker albeit kind and gentle. A beacon of decency, kindness, and compassion to everyone he met, David was a genuine gentleman who will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.

David Thomas Ziegert, age 68, of Wichita, Kansas, died Sunday, October 11, 2020. David was preceded in death by his parents, William Charles and Constance Clementine Ziegert and by his brother, William Lewis (Julaine) Ziegert. Survived by his wife, Dolores "Dee" Jean (Uzarski) Ziegert of Wichita, KS; brother, John Charles (Vivian) Ziegert of FL; daughter, Amelia Claire Ziegert of Irving, TX; numerous nieces, nephews and other relatives.

The Rosary will be prayed Thursday, October 15, 2020, 7:00 pm at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church where the funeral Mass will be held Friday, October 16, 2020, 10:00 am. Memorials have been established with Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, 124 N Roosevelt St., Wichita, KS 67208, and The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 124 N. Roosevelt St., Wichita, KS 67208, and Alcoholics Anonymous Central Office, 2812 East English St., Wichita, KS 67211. Downing & Lahey Mortuary - East Chapel. Share tributes online at: www.dlwichita.com. To learn more about David's life, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.

The Funeral Mass will also be live-streamed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-Luptub5nfCaRfUc48twdw?view_as=subscriber