David Kenneday Gasper

After his father graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia, the young family settled in Buckhannon, WV. David developed a love of nature in the woods and streams around Buckhannon, encouraged by his father, a state conservation biologist.

After graduating from Buckhannon High School in 1974, David joined the Air Force and was selected for the elite combat pararescue service charged with the search, extraction, and medical treatment of downed pilots and crew. David loved the demanding physical aspects of his pararescue service, but was especially drawn to his medical corpsman duties; however, his career plans were cut short by a back injury sustained in a helicopter accident while on duty.

David was discharged from the Air Force as a sergeant in 1979, then attended the University of West Virginia for two years before transferring to the nursing program at West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1981, allowing him to return to his family in Buckhannon. David thrived in the new challenges of his nursing courses and the social life of a college student. During the summers, he earned money for college in various jobs - white water rafting guide, trail guide for the northeast region for the Boy Scouts, and nature director at the local Boy Scout camp. In March of 1983, he was introduced by a friend of his sister to a fellow nursing student at Wesleyan.

After their “blind date” at the college Commons, they spent increasingly more time together. David and Laura married in May of 1985. David graduated in 1986 with a B.S. degree in Nursing, Laura having finished a year earlier. They took positions at the West Virginia University Fairmont Medical Center in Fairmont, WV.

A year later, they made their final move to Indiana and soon settled in Griffith. Their first son, Adam, was born in 1989, followed by Justin in 1990. To balance two children and two careers, they purchased a duplex into which Laura’s parents moved to help out as their new family settled into suburban life.

David and Laura were active in school functions and sports. Because David was raised in a family with a long scouting tradition, he was active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts as the boys grew. David was especially proud that both his sons were Eagle Scouts.

David is widely remembered within the local scouting community for his selfless service, and was inducted into the Order of the Arrow, the Boy Scouts of America's national honor society that recognizes scouts and scout leaders that best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law. David served on the nursing staff at St. Catherine Hospital from 1987 to his retirement in 2022. During this time, he held many positions, including most recently the Intermediate Care Unit.

David’s life can be summed up as one focused on service to those around him - a dedicated husband and father, a tireless community leader, and a patient caregiver and mentor. He was a gentle soul with an innate talent for storytelling, although it was sometimes not clear where his most recent story was headed until he came full circle and tied the threads together. He will be missed by all who knew him, but especially by his granddaughter, Emree, who was his morning light. On waking, Emree always perked up and glowed in anticipation of his arrival around the corner with her bottle when she heard the loose floorboard creak.

At age 70, David entered into eternal rest on Sunday January 11, 2026, following complications from routine cardiac surgery. David is preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Glee Gasper. Those left to cherish David’s memory and legacy include his wife of forty years, Laura Gasper; their sons, Adam and Justin Gasper; Justin’s fiancé, Megan; and their daughter, Emree; as well as Adam’s significant other, Heather.

Also mourning David are his brother, Craig Gasper of Buckhannon, WV; his sister, Peggy and husband, Charles Maxwell of Salem, WV; brother, John Gasper and wife, Linda of Fishers, IN; brothers, Mark and Brett Gasper of Buckhannon, WV; as well as numerous brothers and sisters in-law and other extended family members.

Visitation will be held Thursday, January 22, 2026, from 3:00 - 8:00 pm at Kuiper Funeral Home, 9039 Kleinman Road, Highland, IN 46322. A service of remembrance officiated by Fr. Gregory Bim-Merle, preceded by a military honor guard, will be held on January 23 starting at 11:00 am also at Kuiper Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in memory of David Gasper to the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.KuiperFH.com for the Gasper family.