David Maloy Breitenbach died peacefully, surrounded by his loving wife and children at Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, KS on Wednesday, October 21st, 2020 at the age of 71.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Breitenbach of Lecompton; his children, James Breitenbach (Colleen) of Great Bend, Kansas; Cody Breitenbach of Lawrence, Kansas; Hayley DeGraeve (Austin) of Basehor, Kansas; Olivia Breitenbach of Chicago, Illinois; his sister, Dorinda Alcaraz, of Great Bend, Kansas; and six grandchildren, Evan, Morgan, Callum, Allie, Angelo, and Maggie. He is preceded in death by his parents, Maloy Breitenbach and Gloria Breitenbach, and two brothers, Christopher Breitenbach and William Breitenbach.
David was born on November 17, 1948 in Belpre, Kansas to Maloy and Gloria Breitenbach. He graduated from Belpre High School, where he was part of the state champion 8-man football team in 1966. He married Evelyn Pippett, in 1968, with whom he had his first son, James Breitenbach. After moving to Lawrence, Kansas, David opened and operated several businesses, starting with RMS Electronics located on Massachusetts St. in Downtown Lawrence, Kansas. David was an accomplished musician that played guitar, piano, and horns, in many of the well-known bands out of Lawrence, Kansas that toured the Midwest. David met his current wife, Cynthia in 1984 while he was attending Washburn University studying psychology. David married Cynthia at their current home in Lecompton, Kansas in 1985. Over the next 7 years, the couple welcomed 3 more children, Cody, Hayley, and Olivia, into the family. David set about teaching his children honesty, integrity, and his love for the land and all of its creatures. His children remember him as a kind and gentle father who encouraged them to love one another and to always work hard.
He was a Jack-of-all-trades and a master of many, who often had multiple ongoing projects. He was a hard-working individual who loved his family and his animals. He never missed his children’s sporting events or extracurricular activities, even if it meant being at the ball field every day of the week. Once David retired his electronic repair store, Audio Video Services, in Lawrence, Kansas, he focused more on the management of the family farm. David also enjoyed playing racquetball multiple times a week with some of his closest friends. David enjoyed traveling and watching wildlife, with Utah and Colorado being some of his favorite destinations. He will be deeply missed by his family, animals, and friends.
A visitation is scheduled for Monday, October 26th, 2020 from 6:00-7:30 pm with a funeral to follow the next day, October 27th at 11am. Both events will take place at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, Kansas. 601 Indiana Street, Bill Bump will officiate the ceremony. Graveside services will take place at 2 pm on Friday, October 30th at the Saint Bernards Catholic Cemetery in Belpre, Kansas. Mark Slattery to officiate the graveside. All are welcome to attend and celebrate David’s life. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been set up for the Oncology Department at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
The family would like to thank Dr. Luke Huerter for treating David like a family member and giving him the special time and attention that he did, along with the rest of the staff at LMH who cared for David throughout his journey and end of life care.
