DAVID GRINSEL
January 01, 1945 - October 23, 2018
Obituary
On October 23, 2018 the world lost a gentle soul who was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, brother in-law, uncle and friend.
David Carl Grinsel was the first baby to be born in Eau Claire County on January 1, 1945. (No gifts were given to his parents because it was a time of war.) Dave was the third son born to Jack and Doris Grinsel.
Dave grew up in Eau Claire attending Boyd Elementary School, Eau Claire Junior High, and his beloved Memorial High School. (Dave felt sorry for anyone who wasn't an OLD ABE.) After graduating from Memorial, Dave attended UW Eau Claire and graduated in January, 1968 with a degree in Business Administration.
On July 22, 1967, Dave married Kathleen Zukaitis. This year they celebrated 51 years of marriage. Dave entered the Air Force in June of 1968 and was selected to study at Syracuse University to become a Russian linguist. After security school in San Angelo, TX and a few months at Offutt Air Base in Omaha, NE, Dave was sent to Rhein Main Air Base in Germany where he spent the next two years flying in the back of a C130 recording and then translating Russian intercepts.
After four years in the military, Dave took a job with Kimberly Clark in Hendersonville, N. C. Six years later, Dave was transferred to Neenah, WI. From Neenah, he went to Paris, TX and then eventually back to Neenah. Dave loved going to work every day and loved all of the people who he came in contact with.
Dave was the proud father of three wonderful children: Jennifer, Jodi and Mark. He was always an active participant in their lives and the lives of their children.
Besides his family, Dave loved skiing down a mountain, riding his motorcycle all over the country on back roads, and watching the Badgers no matter what the sport! He was also known “to cut a rug” whenever he could.
The past several years Dave has fought an unbeatable fight with a neurological disease, PSP. This disease took a terrible toll on Dave, but he never complained and always tried to keep on living the best that he could. He never lost his smile.
Dave is survived by his wife, Kathy, his children Jennifer (Jeff) Borths, Jodi (Sean) Clifford, and Mark. He is also survived by his five granddaughters, Ellie, Anya and Neve Clifford and Seaenah and River Grinsel. He is further survived by his brothers John (Gi), and Jim (Diane), in-laws Judy and Larry Perkin, Cindy and Kirk Dahl, Michele and Bob McCormick, Teri and Joel Sullivan, and Laurie Zukaitis. Dave has many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly.
Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Jack Grinsel and Doris Backstrom, his in-laws Frank and Charlene Zukaitis, his brother in-laws Jim and Rick Zukaitis and his daughter in-law Michelle Grinsel.
Visitation will be held Friday, November 2, 2018, from 9:00-11:00 AM with funeral to follow at First Presbyterian Church, 200 Church St, Neenah, with Rev. Paul Huxtable officiating. Military Honors will follow with the Neenah/Menasha Veterans Honor Guard. The family requests that if you wish to honor Dave with a donation, please think about one of the following: Thedacare At Home Hospice , 1818 North Meade St. Appleton, WI 54911, Valley VNA Senior Services, 1535 Lyon Dr. Neenah, WI 54956 Or CURE PSP, 1216 Broadway, New York, NY 10001.
God bless all of the wonderful caregivers that touched Dave's life.