Born May 27, 1939 in Pekin to Knud and Kathryn (Cash) Svendsen, he married Donna J. Reed on June 30, 1977 in Geneva. She survives.
Also surviving are three sons, Stephen (Cathy) Svendsen of Manito, Darrin Svendsen of Pekin and Mark (Holly) Svendsen of Mapleton; three daughters, Lisa Fowler of Houston, Texas, Danielle (Alberto) Lugo of St. Louis, Missouri and Angela (Roy) Davis of Pekin; eight grandchildren, Stephanie Pasqualino of Pekin, Shane (Nicole Tatro) Svendsen of Pekin, Courtny Svendsen of Chicago, Kayla Svendsen of Mapleton, Kendall Fowler of Houston, Jacqueline (Ben Serangeli) Lugo of St. Peters, Missouri, Natalie Lugo of St. Louis and Jordan (Tom) Davis-Finnegan of Asheville, North Carolina; three great-grandchildren, Rose Pasqualino, Sawyer Svendsen and Edward Finnegan; two brothers, Tom (Sharon) Svendsen of Pekin and Mike (Barb) Svendsen; two sisters, Sonja (Guy) Stanford of Vancouver, British Columbia and Margie Baxter of Bend, Oregon and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves Sasha, his canine companion.
He was preceded in death by his parents; five brothers, Bob Svendsen, Dan Svendsen, Byron Svendsen, Terry Svendsen and John “Jack” Svendsen and one sister, Yvonne Pollman Keyster.
A 1957 graduate of Pekin Community High School, David attended Western Illinois University. He was a longtime farmer, carpenter and commercial developer in the area. As a successful entrepreneur, he also had owned and operated The Tannery and Pekin Video Library.
He and Donna enjoyed wintering in their Florida home, travelling throughout the world, especially to visit family in Denmark. They also traveled stateside in his motorhome. He enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson with friends, boating on Lake Michigan and trap shooting. He had a wicked sense of humor, especially with brother Terry, at the many “roasts” of siblings and in-laws at their significant birthdays. He loved his family and friends and was always concerned for their well-being. He was a diehard fan of both boxing and the Chicago Bears. He also was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals. He loved his time spent at the family farm.
He was a member of Knights of Columbus Archbishop Schlarman Council 3507 in Pekin, Pekin Moose Family Center 916 and Pekin Eagles Aerie 1869.
Raised a devout Catholic, David had a deep personal faith that was very important to him.
His funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at First United Methodist Church in Pekin. Pastor James C. McClarey will officiate. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin, and also from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Tuesday at the church. Burial will be in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Pekin.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church, 1315 Court Street, Pekin, IL 61554 or a charity of the donor’s choice.
To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com
