David Allen "Dave" Weed, 67, of Salina, Kansas, passed away Monday, April 18th, 2022, in the loving arms of his family.
Dave was born in Colby, Kansas on March 12, 1955, to parents Mary Helen (Sutter) Weed and Jack Donald Weed.
Graduating from Brewster High School, Class of 1973, Dave was
proud to be in the top ten of his class of 12. He enlisted in the United
States Marine Corps after high school, serving from 1974 to 1977,
rising to the rank of Corporal E4 in the Correctional Service Company
where he earned several marksmanship awards, the Good Conduct Medal and
was honorably discharged. His roommates often told him he was “one
squared away Marine” because his uniforms always looked impeccable. His
goals then were to gain a Bachelor’s Degree and join the Kansas Highway
Patrol.
After the military, Dave attended Colby Community College
earning a degree in Journalism and a Bachelor’s in Communications from
Fort Hays State University. Always an avid runner, he enjoyed running
alongside the university track team and with the Hays Area Road Runners.
He ran the 1979 KU Relays Marathon and the 1983 Nike OTC marathon with a
time of 3:09 and was proud to be the only representative from Kansas.
It was while attending college at Fort Hays he met his future wife Mary
Alice Yunker. Dave spotted her while “dragging Main” and began talking
to her. Later he got her phone number by running down every street in
Hays until he found her car then searched for the phone connected to her
home address and made the call. She was immediately smitten. Their
first date, the following Friday, was at the first basketball sell out
game at Gross Memorial Coliseum. On December 4, 1989, Dave and Mary
Alice wed in Salina, Kansas.
Dave served as an Ellis County Sheriff’s Deputy from 1985 to
1987 before joining the Kansas Highway Patrol in 1987, where he served
for thirty years. Retiring as a Lieutenant in the Patrol, he had been in
charge of the Breath Alcohol Unit and for a time the Drug Recognition
Unit. He was hired back two months later as a consultant in 2018.
Throughout his law enforcement career, he formed many friendships and
always considered coworkers as family.
He enjoyed spontaneous coddiwomple road trips with his wife
where they tried local cuisine and serenaded one another on long drives.
Dave was the life of the party bringing joy and laughter to those
around him. He was a brilliant man and a great storyteller. Dave’s
knowledge of trivia was uncanny. His quirky sense of humor, fierce
protective spirit and loving nature made for many memorable moments with
family and friends. Dave was a loyal friend to all and shared his love
of life and big heart with those lucky enough to find him in their
company.
A dedicated father and grandfather, Dave was the announcer for
the Basketball and Football games for Ell- Saline High School from 2004
until 2018. He attended every school program and ball game his three
children and grandchildren participated in.
Dave is survived by his wife, Mary Alice; daughters, Lydia
Kirchman (Adam), of Salina, Kansas and Elaina Sullivan (Jake), of
Wichita, Kansas; son, Andrew Weed of Salina, Kansas; grandchildren,
Camille, Josephine, and MacArthur; his mother, Mary Weed of Colby,
Kansas; sisters, Susan Focke (Dwight) and Nancy Ohlrogge (David), of
Colby, Kansas; and brothers, Charles Weed, of Denver, Colorado, and
Michael Weed (Michelle), of Levant, Kansas.
Left to also cherish his memory are brothers-in-law, Robert
Yunker, of Salina, Kansas, Charles Yunker, of Tecumseh, Kansas, Mark
Yunker (Karen), of Fountain, Colorado, James Yunker (Shirley), of Hays,
Kansas, Daniel Yunker (Joan), of Andover, Kansas; three sisters-in-law,
Lois Yunker, of Munjor, Kansas, Janice Koshiol, of Hays, Kansas, DeAnn
Ricketts of Topeka, Kansas many nieces and nephews, the Kansas Highway
Patrol Family, Marine Corps brothers and his best buddy, Skipper, his
dog.
Dave was preceded in death by his father, Jack Weed, in-laws,
Lydia and Martin Yunker; brothers-in-law, David Yunker, Thomas Yunker,
Patrick Koshiol; sister-in-law, Kathy Yunker, and nephew, Matthew
Yunker.
Visitation will be held 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Thursday, April
28th, at Carlson - Geisendorf Funeral Home & Crematory in Salina,
Kansas.
Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, April 29th, with a rosary and viewing starting at 10:00am at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
in Salina, Kansas.
Burial to follow with Military Rights and Kansas Highway Patrol Honor Guard at Gypsum Hill Cemetery, Salina, Kansas.
Memorials are suggested to the educational fund for his
grandchildren, in care of Carlson-Geisendorf Funeral Home and Crematory,
500 South Ohio, Salina, Kansas 67401.