Son David At Peace

Our eldest son David about whom I have been posting blogs died peacefully, surrounded by family on Saturday morning, Feb. 14. He is at rest. See below for his bio:

DAVE KIESCHNICK OBITUARY

Childhood

David Allan Kieschnick was born on Sept. 14, 1952 in Tracy, California, the first born of Mel and Jane Kieschnick. He was baptized at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Tracy. After living briefly in Glendale California, he moved to Hong Kong with his parents at the age of four.

In Hong Kong he lived a happy ten years exploring neighborhoods where few foreign children ever roamed. Soon after settling in Kowloon, Hong Kong he was enrolled in a Chinese-only kindergarten. Following kindergarten, Dave attended Kowloon Junior and King George V schools where he learned the Queen’s English, Latin, and a unique combination of British/American/Chinese culture (“Three cheers—and one for the tiger!”). On his thirteenth birthday his family (by then he had two sisters and two brothers) returned to the United States, where he graduated from Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a National Merit Finalist honor and then from Concordia Teachers College, Chicago, where he served as student body president at the height of the turbulent 60’s.

Career

In the early 70’s Dave served as Director of Christian Education for Hyde Park Lutheran Church,  a radical church community operating out of “The Mansion,” (which is now the Chicago home of the Obama family.) He also worked on the streets of Glen Ellen, Illinois, helping troubled teens. Then Dave surprised us all when he made a dramatic career shift to become Director of Training for Evans Furs of Chicago, where he immersed himself in the finer points of high fashion. After Evans, Dave founded “Off-Site, Inc.,” his own HR and computer consulting agency. Finally, in 2007 Dave moved to San Diego to be near his aging parents, continuing to support small businesses with his unique combination of technical expertise and a rare ability to translate between techies and regular people.

LGBTQ Advocacy & Support

Dave had a lifelong passion for social justice, and continually gave voice to the disenfranchised.  An early leader and fearless advocate in the gay rights movement, he helped pave the way for a generation of youth able to grow up fully embracing who they were. Dave courageously came out of the closet, frequently standing in front of audiences as the first out-of-the-closet gay man they had ever met.

aDave was a founder of Lutherans Concerned-Chicago, the leading advocacy and support group for the LGBTQ community in the Lutheran church. At a time when the only places for LGBTQ people to find each other were bars and bathhouses, Dave helped create safe places for people to meet, worship, socialize, and support each other. Dave was President of the founding Board of Directors of Gay Horizons (now the “Center on Halstead”), the Midwest's largest LGBTQ social service agency.  Dave wrote and spoke extensively about grace and inclusion and was a leader of the Maywood House Church which met for worship and fellowship for more than 30 years.

At the height of the AIDS crisis in the U.S., Dave traveled to many parts of the country, providing comfort to many who would otherwise have died alone.  He sponsored and supported persons seeking political asylum from Communist China, provided sanctuary for Afghan refugees, and challenged Americans to live up to the ideals on which our country was founded.

Lifestyle

A consummate host and gourmet cook, Dave relished good wine and fine cuisine, and celebrated life with finesse and style. He sure knew how to throw a party! Dave made many, many people feel welcome who didn’t feel welcome anywhere else.  He loved to travel internationally, was fascinated by history and culture, and seemingly remembered everything he ever read or learned.

Dave loved music, theater and film. He had an eye for beauty whether in fine art, a relic from some exotic place, the colors of an insect’s wings, or a discarded treasure scavenged from a Chicago alley. He didn’t just appreciate art; he made it. Dave was a storyteller extraordinaire and an eloquent writer. He was a gifted potter who combined his aesthetic sensibilities with great personal discipline to create many beautiful things.

Dave was a courageous voice for the oppressed, adamantly refusing to accept injustice. And most of all, Dave was a man with a huge, compassionate heart who gave shelter to wounded and weary hearts. Even now, he continues to give us all strength for the journey.

Family

While in Chicago Dave lived in a committed relationship with Doug Wilmore for more than 30 years. He was at the center of a large and extended LGBTQ family, many of whom had no other family. He was a loving and devoted son, a great brother and uncle, and a steadfast friend.

David died February 14, 2015 at his home in San Diego at the age of 62. He is survived by his parents, Mel and Jane Kieschnick, and by his siblings: Peggy Kieschnick (Phil Hatcher), Tim Kieschnick (Wendy Fiering), Elizabeth Kieschnick (Jim Flanders), John Kieschnick (Regina Llamas) and his nephews and nieces: Christina Hatcher (Ariel O’Sharenko), John Hatcher, Anza Fiering, Jon Flanders, Ryan Flanders, Maria Flanders, Antonio Kieschnick, Clara Kieschnick and a community of friends both here and around the world. 

---