David Reisenwitz

Reisenwitz, David “Dave,” age 78, of Richmond, Va., departed this life on April 16, 2020. He was the son of Edward Francis Reisenwitz and Julia Karolinchak Reisenwitz. He was preceded in death by his brother, Edward “Eddy” Reisenwitz; his sister, Betty Elosge and his daughter, Catherine Ann Reisenwitz. He is survived by his wife, Hope Elizabeth Reisenwitz; daughter, Julia Marie Robinette (Brian); son, Robert Van Reisenwitz (Lois); grandson, Christopher Van Reisenwitz; sister, Jean Long; brother, Robert Reisenwitz (Marilyn) and many other loving relatives, to include a step-daughter.

Born in Montgomery, PA, Dave lived a full life. He was a man of many talents, which he used to serve his family, individuals, the community and country. He began serving others early on in his youth by being a cadet member of the Civil Air Patrol, then later as an adult Senior Member. What he learned from the Civil Air Patrols’ three missions of Aerospace Education, Youth Leadership Development and Ground Search and Rescue, would carry over into his later professional and personal life.

Upon graduation from High School, he served in the United States Army, prior to the Vietnam War, as a Medical Laboratory Technician, in Puerto Rico. Dave was proud to be a Veteran. After serving his country, he married his first wife, Margaret Hempel, began a professional career, as a Research Medical Laboratory Technologist, at a major pharmaceutical company in PA and raised his son, Robert and daughter, Catherine. He would become involved with the Boy Scouts of America, as his son’s Den Leader and later as an Adult Leader.

He transferred to Richmond Va. from PA in the 197O’s to become the Marketing Director of General Medical. Often he joked with others asking “Do you know the difference between a Yankee and a ‘Damned Yankee’? Well... one comes to visit and the other comes to stay!” Dave’s job as Marketing Director ended and he began a new era of his life as an Educator. He earned his Masters degree from Norwich University in 1994. His passion for life-long learning would continue to allow him to serve others and the community in many different capacities.

Dave’s love for the outdoors and his Boy Scouts experience would inspire him to create an Outdoor Adventures course that he would instruct for nine years at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. After this, he began a career with the Science Museum of Virginia and Aviation Museum as an Outreach Educator. His experience with traveling around the state with the Aviation Museum Airmobile connected him again with the Civil Air Patrol, as an Aerospace Education Member. In 1986, Dave would meet his second wife, Hope, and they would raise a daughter together, Julia Marie. Not surprisingly, Julia would become a Civil Air Patrol cadet when she reached the age of eligibility.

Dave retired from the Science Museum in 2006, but was not ready to stop learning and using his talents to serve. Earning a certification in English as a Second Language (ESL), he began teaching ESL students of all ages in many different avenues. This included being an instructor for Henrico County and Chesterfield County Public Schools. He was also adjunct faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Global Education Program and University of Richmond’s School of Professional & Continuing Studies’ Think Again Program. He was a passionate, engaging and creative instructor that his students would think highly of and trust as a friend.

Dave would have continued serving with his passions, talents and knowledge, if not for the diagnosis of dementia in 2017. Even so, as the disease progressed, he would use any interaction with his fellow person to engage them in learning with his amazing ability (long term memory) to recall trivia and use his humor.

One gift, that he received as a result of his dementia, was that it greatly diminished his ability to remember the pain, regret and tragedy that he had experienced in his life (such as in the 1987 unsolved death of his beloved daughter, Cathy, who was only 17.) Even though he did not receive physical healing, he had experienced emotional and spiritual healing. After many years, of not practicing his Christian faith, he began attending worship services. Often, when Dave met another individual named the same, he would ask them, “Do you know what the name David means?” If they did not know, he would tell them, “It means Beloved.”

Family would want Dave to be remembered for how he served his family, the individual, community and his country. In remembrance, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at www.alzfdn.org or a charity of your choice. A Celebration of Life, to include Military Honors, will be scheduled at a later date. Interment will be private.