David Allen Hartig

David Allen Hartig was a beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, friend, and a fierce advocate for children. He died on July 8, 2021 after a brief struggle with heart disease.

Dave was born on March 20, 1939 in Marysville, Kansas to Henry and Berniece Hartig, the seventh son of the ten Hartig siblings. He lost his father when he was only five years old and grew up with modest means, but with the intense love of his large family. A gifted athlete at Marysville High School, he played semiprofessional baseball in Kansas before joining the Marine Corps, where he served from 1959-1962.

The Marine Corps sent Dave to California, and he would settle in the San Diego area after receiving an honorable discharge. He earned his bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University, and he worked as a butcher, grocer, small business owner, and wholesale foods executive throughout his career.

Dave was a loving and unflinchingly committed father to five boys: Brad, David, Justin, Matt, and Luke. He was a passionate Little League baseball and Pop Warner football coach, helping his own sons and countless other boys learn life lessons from sports. Nothing made him happier than fishing with his boys.

He was married three times, for the past twenty-four-and-three-quarters years to the love of his life, Linda Kay Hartig. He made Kay’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren his own. Kay and Dave retired to Burnet, Texas in 2004, where they built a beautiful home with a verdant garden and threw themselves into their adopted community and their rich set of friends. Dave was a regular at Delaware Springs golf course. He and Kay became avid fans of several Texas collegiate and professional sports teams. They traveled extensively, taking several long trips to Alaska, and visiting family across the country. Dave also traveled to Guatemala to visit his son in the Peace Corps, to Israel for a religious pilgrimage, and to Switzerland for a genealogy trip for Kay’s family. Dave was a proud member of the Hill Country Fellowship church and a faithful participant in a Real Life Group with special friends who became family. He died knowing he was guided by the Holy Spirit and filled with the light of his deep Christian faith.

After a health scare in 2012, Dave committed himself to finding a deeper purpose in retirement, and in 2013, he became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) in the family courts of the Texas Hill Country. This would be his life’s work. Over eight years, and with Kay’s indispensable support, Dave advocated for 43 kids in the foster care system, helping them escape abuse and neglect and in many cases, finding them adoptive homes.

Dave is survived by his wife, Kay Hartig; his children, Bradley Hartig of West Hills, California, David Hartig of La Mesa, California, Justin Moe of San Diego, California, Matthew Moe of La Mesa, California, Luke Hartig of Washington, DC, Martin Turman of Scottsdale, Arizona, Catherine Carroll of Peoria, Arizona; ten grandchildren; six great grandchildren; and his sisters, Berniece Miller of Aurora, Nebraska, Iva Hargreaves of Rochester, Minnesota, and Mariann David of Emmett, Idaho. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Hartig and Berniece Coffey Hartig Cammel and his brothers, Henry, Charles, Robert, Edward, Eugene, and Raymond.

Dave lived his final days as he lived his whole life – with deep concern for those he loved, gratitude for his life’s blessings, faith in his Lord, and ill will or malice toward none. A memorial service will be held on July 31, 2021, 11:00 AM at Hill Country Fellowship in Burnet, Texas. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to CASA for the Highland Lakes Area.

Care has been entrusted to Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home in Burnet.

Condolences may be offered at www.clementswilcoxburnet.com