David Edward Kirtley

David E. Kirtley passed away on August 15, 2025, at his lake home in Michigan, of a heart attack. He was 59 years old. His daughters, Sophie Kirtley and Adeline Henry, and his wife, Michelle Kirtley, are deeply saddened by his sudden passing.

David was thoughtful and kind, consistently putting others first, be it with his family, friends or in his professional career as a corporate lawyer. David was an avid runner, but also lived his entire life in motion, always seeking out challenges, new experiences, and broad knowledge. Ever curious, David loved to read and travel.

David was a man of deep and steady faith, quiet confidence and humor, and steadfast love and support for his family. In addition to reading and traveling, David enjoyed spending time at his Strawberry Lake home in Michigan, as well as music and sports – David played piano and trumpet, and played varsity basketball and tennis in high school.

David was born July 12, 1966, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He graduated high school in Plainfield, Indiana and then attended Wabash College, where he graduated summa cum laude, phi beta kappa with a degree in Philosophy. At Wabash, he was editor of the Wabash Review, a member of the Glee Club, and studied abroad for a year in Aberdeen, Scotland. David next attended Vanderbilt Law School where he graduated Order of the Coif, the highest academic ranking.

David married Shari Sparks in 1988, and together they raised their daughters Sophie and Adeline until Shari’s untimely passing in 2011. David, Shari, Sophie, and Adeline were living in Brussels, Belgium at the time as David was working as a corporate lawyer for Johnson Controls. In 2014, David married Michelle McGillivray, who thereafter has been a beloved wife and loving parent to Sophie and Adeline. In 2016, the family moved to Dublin, Ohio, as David took on the role of General Counsel of Americas for Mettler-Toledo, yet another role in which he flourished, and which required both domestic and international operation oversight. David was a gifted lawyer, well-liked and respected by both his internal business clients, and the outside counsel he supervised. His varied responsibilities included mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, employment disputes, and regulatory compliance, among many others.

David is preceded in death by his father James Kirtley and his late wife Shari Kirtley. He is survived by his wife Michelle Kirtley, his daughters Sophie Kirtley and Adeline Henry, son-in-law Kyle Henry, his mother Mary Patricia Kirtley, his sister Rita and her family and brother John and his family.

There will be services at Northwest Presbyterian Church at 6400 Post Rd, Dublin, Ohio 43016, with visitation from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 22, 2025, and funeral services Saturday, August 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.