David K. Leuck

 David K. Leuck, age 82 of Onalaska, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Monday, March 3, 2025, after a brief illness. He was born on January 30, 1943, in La Crosse, WI, to the late Carl Joseph and Calverna (Schams) Leuck.

Those who knew David will remember him for his zest for everything he did, and larger than life presence. He was engaging, the life of the party, and had a certain charisma about him which created a strong and memorable presence. He cared deeply about his family and was a mentor to many colleagues, his kids, nieces, and nephews. David had a remarkable gift for theatrical storytelling, with a background in community theater from his younger years. His deep love for music created a home filled with warmth and song. As an avid guitar player and singer, he brought music to many gatherings, sharing his passion through his heartfelt performances at family gatherings and friendly get-togethers. His positive spirit was ever-present, leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met. He will be deeply missed by many.

David is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Ruth Ann; his two children whom he shared with his first wife, Colleen Langrud, of Warrens, WI, Carl (Linda) Leuck of Leavenworth, WA; Anne Leuck of Chicago, IL; his stepdaughters, Gina Haefer of Evansville, WI; Stephenie (Derek) Kelly of Greenbrae, CA; Michelle (Eric Goodwin) Lee of Hoover, AL; along with 8 grandchildren, Brandon, Justin, Zachary, and Brittany Haefer; Laura (Alfonso) Carrillo, John Kelly, Olivia (Connor Murray) Kelly and Marshall Kelly. David is additionally blessed with 2 great-grandchildren, Isael and Aurora Carrillo.

He grew up restoring vintage cars with his father, which resulted in one of his proudest accomplishments, a beautifully restored MG TD. This led to David's passion for cars and engineering; he later graduated from Aquinas High School in La Crosse and attended Notre Dame, studying Mechanical Engineering. His ongoing enthusiasm for classic English sports cars resulted in the restoration of a Jaguar and Austin-Healey with his son, Carl. He shared his mechanical aptitude and creativity with his children and encouraged their creative pursuits with pride.

He worked at Northern Engraving in Sparta, WI for 42 years. David worked in a variety of positions and he learned the business through his dedicated, energetic, and hands-on approach. He was originally hired to work in research and development and then worked as Plant Manager at several locations, and several Vice President positions including V.P. of Technology, V.P. of Sales, and V.P. of Engineering.

David was married to his soul mate, Ruth Ann, on January 4, 1986. During their 39 years together, they enjoyed boating, traveling, reading, cooking, and entertaining their friends and family.

In 1992, David and Ruth Ann relocated to Santa Barbara, CA where David served as the President and the V.P. of Manufacturing for Forms + Surfaces, a subsidiary of Northern Engraving, where he excelled at leading it to profitability. After four years on this assignment, the company was sold and he moved back to Onalaska, WI to continue his career at Northern Engraving as a Senior V.P. until his retirement in 2004

After retirement, David maintained his passion for engineering by setting up a home workshop where he pursued scale model machining. He also provided consultation to inventors and startup businesses to help market their products.

David was preceded in death by his sister and brother-in-law, Carol (Duane) Hammes, formally of La Crosse, WI; and survived by five nieces and nephews, Jayne Hammes of Minneapolis, MN; Dr. Mary (Dr. Steven) Beltran of Riverside, IL; Betsy (David) Moore of Fort Myers, FL; Tom (Geri) Hammes of La Crosse, WI; August (Wendy) Hammes of La Crosse, WI; along with his great nieces and nephew, Emily and Nicholas Beltran; Jessica and Eryn Hammes.

He is also survived by his other sister, Patricia (John) Hammes of Hoboken, NJ; and an additional seven nieces and nephews, Patricia G. (Jerome Mounier) Hammes of Greenport, NY; Michael (Truc Le) Hammes of Bethesda, MD; Dr. John S. Hammes of San Diego, CA; Mark F. (Laura) Hammes of Fort Wayne, IN; Elaine (Peter) Nigro of West Hartford, CT; Susan (Robert) McBride of Highlands Ranch, CO; Lynda (Robert) Cuza of Brooklyn, NY; along with great nieces and nephews, Leuck and Anne Hammes; Dr. Jessica, Mark, Rachel and Joseph Hammes; Ava and Andrew Nigro; Caitlain and Madeleine McBride; Valentina and Carolina Cuza.

A Prayer Service is scheduled for 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 24th at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of Onalaska. Following the Prayer service will be a time of sharing. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made in David's honor to Aquinas High School or Gunderson