It is with utter sadness that we announce the passing of David William Liudahl of Olathe Kansas on June 28, 2024, at the age of 51. Dave was born in Bremerton, Washington on May 22, 1973, and moved with his family to Colby, Kansas at three years old. Dave grew up in a loving home and often recounted his childhood memories, always with such fondness. He attended Colby High School where he enjoyed several sports, including his two favorite - basketball and golf. Though Dave was of an incredibly humble nature, he did not hesitate to remind his friends and family that he had won “Colby High School Athlete of the Year” should they forget to mention it.
Dave continued his education by earning an undergraduate degree at his beloved University of Kansas before continuing to earn his master’s degree in physical therapy at Wichita State University in 1999. Dave’s career began in Osborne, Kansas and soon after he moved to Hays, Kansas and eventually served as the Director of Rehab for The Center for Health Improvement at Hays Medical Center. He was never afraid to take a new path in his career which led to Dave opening an outpatient Physical Therapy clinic in Gardner, Kansas in 2008. Eventually, Dave’s career led him to home health physical therapy in western Kansas then the Kansas City area. Dave was a dedicated physical therapist who cared deeply for his patients. The Kansas City Regional Home Care Association recognized this as they presented him with the “Outstanding Associate Award” in 2019.
While at KU, Dave and his wife, Jaime, met and fell in love. They were married in Colby, Kansas on April 8, 2000. They began their family in Hays, Kansas and grew to a family of five with the addition of twins, Chloe and Carter, in 2003, and Coleman in 2006. Dave’s greatest joy in life was his family. He beamed with joy and love for his family and never hesitated to put them first. His entire family was adorned by his inherent goodness, incredibly kind spirit, amazing wit, and enduring patience. Dave left his family with an abundance of love, as well as countless dad jokes for which his family will never learn the actual punchline. He loved to barbecue, while wearing any one of his numerous ‘Dad’ shirts and listening to his treasured KC Royals, KC Chiefs, or KU Basketball. He was always perfecting his craft, often making enough food to feed the entire street, though we did have to wait hours for those 3-2-1 ribs. He loved to fish, to golf and to hunt with his dogs that he loved so much. Dave took up a new favorite hobby of bowling just a short while ago, and as a testament to his natural athleticism, bowled a perfect 300. Above all, Dave was a man of faith, and his unwavering faithfulness guided him as he guided his family and friends.
Dave is survived by his wife Jaime Liudahl, his sons Carter and Coleman, and his daughter Chloe; his mother, Sara (Newman) Liudahl, and father, Dr. Wayne Liudahl; his two brothers and their wives, Aaron and Karen (Weishaar) Liudahl, and Eric and Liz (Peters) Liudahl; Father and mother-in-law Denny and Janet (Pierce) Pfeifer, his brothers-in-laws and their wives, Dustin and Amber (Stephens) Pfeifer, Dexter and Carissa (Wickham) Pfeifer, and David and Olivia Dreiling. His sister-in-law Jara Pfeifer; his nieces, Abby Liudahl, Ashlyn Liudahl, Nora Pfeifer, Demitria Pfeifer, Dezmai Pfeifer, Journee Chambers, Anna and Bella Pfeifer, Maya Pfeifer, Isabella Dreiling, Jasmine Crha, Kianna (Dreiling) Hoskins; his nephews, Austin Liudahl, Conner Liudahl, Dakota Pfeifer, Andre Pfeifer, Anthony Pfeifer, and a host of family and friends. Dave was a genuinely kind, good man who was loved boundlessly by his family. As well as the many friends he gathered throughout his life. The legacy he left in the lives of those whom his spirit touched is immeasurable. Each and every person in his life meant something to Dave and we invite you to attend a celebration of Dave’s life at the Resurrection West United Methodist Church, 24000 West Valley Parkway, Olathe, KS 66061 at 10:00 am on Saturday, July 13.