Obituary for David J. Krings
David Krings, devoted husband to Christine and father to Amy (Julio), Katrina (Zack), and Sarah (Matt) died on Monday, June 26th, due to complications following an open heart surgery. He is also survived by his sister Susan Krings and three grandchildren- Mason, Zoey, and Julian.
Dave was born in 1949 in Appleton, Wisconsin. He grew up with his parents, Joseph William and Anne Christine, along with his younger sister Susan in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. As a child, he enjoyed the outdoors, sports, and stamp collecting. One of his proudest life accomplishments was surviving the 1967 "Ice Bowl" at Lambeau Field with his father. Despite it being the coldest NFL game on record, the Packers went on to win the NFL Championship that day and Dave remained a lifelong cheesehead.
The first in his family to attend college, Dave received a football scholarship to attend Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In addition to playing football and participating in a fraternity, he studied English and Political Science, graduating with honors. He spent a year studying abroad in Ribe, Denmark on a family farm where he developed a lifelong relationship with the Hansen family. He later studied Spanish in Mexico.
When Dave returned to campus, he met the greatest love of his life, Chris. They were married on April 27, 1973. This past April, Dave and Chris celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Dave and Chris had a rich married life. They lived in Little Rock, Arkansas where he worked in the Governor's Office and she was an elementary school teacher. He then took a job with the Lieutenant Governor (later the Governor) of Wisconsin and they moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin. In that role, among other responsibilities, he was an advocate for people who were disabled or elderly. He also received a M.A. in public policy and administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From there, Dave and Chris moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked for Ramsey County. There, they welcomed their daughters Amy Erin and Katrina Ann. In 1983, the family moved to Peoria, Illinois where he served for nine years as the Peoria County Administrator. There, Sarah Christine was born. Though he never had a son, he maintained a close bond with Naoya Yukitoki - the Japanese exchange student that the family hosted through the Rotary Club in 2003. And between Chris and his daughters' love of animals, Dave had more than fifty years of experience as a father and grandfather figure to dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, guinea pigs, and amphibians - all of whom are undoubtedly delighted to keep him company while receiving good pets in heaven.
In 1992, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as the Hamilton County Administrator until 2005. He, along with a team of colleagues that he immensely respected, was successful in facilitating the development of the riverfront and two new stadiums. His colleagues describe him as a man of high integrity, a true public servant, and a skilled negotiator with an unassuming sense of humor.
Dave was very proud of his profession and the people within it. He served as president of several professional societies including the International City / County Management Association (ICMA) and the National Association of County Administrators (NACA). During this time, Dave and Chris were able to travel and visit with dear friends around the world. In the last few years, Dave worked with two organizations -Management Partners and Slavin Management Consultants -where he consulted with local governments.
Though Dave was internationally recognized for his accomplishments, he was a quiet and humble person. He was a defender of underprivileged people and animals. Never the life of the party, Dave was nonetheless gifted with an ability to develop and maintain deep, lifelong friendships. He remained close with his sister and many cousins who fondly remembered him for his good humor, reliability, kindness, and what one described as steadfast "leadership in a pack of cousins."
Dave's greatest joys were quiet ones. He liked bird watching on the back porch, reading the newspaper and magazines, playing poker, fishing with friends and his sons-in-law, Reds baseball, Packers football, Xavier basketball, and eating a good beer brat. He went to church every Sunday, but did not talk much about his faith. Rather, he lived it by embodying values of honesty, compassion, and being true to one's word. He was the rock and protector of his family -steady, fair, wise, loyal, and supportive. It was extremely satisfying for him to watch his grandchildren play and grow. He found joy in watching them pretend to cook for him or swim in the family pool. He liked reading to them, blowing bubbles, and watching their emerging accomplishments like dance recitals and a recent baptism. More than anything, he enjoyed the companionship of his wife Chris.
Though he will be deeply missed, his legacy lives on through the countless public servants he has mentored and counseled, his loving wife, his daughters, and his grandchildren, two of whom bear his name -Mason David and Julian David.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 6th from 5 - 7 PM at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home, 2050 Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati. Words of remembrance will follow at 7 PM with guests invited to listen to or share memories and stories of our dear Dave.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 7th at 10 AM at St. John Fisher Church, 3227 Church Street in Newtown, Ohio. It will be followed by a light lunch. The mass will be livestreamed, and can be accessed through the St. John Fisher webpage - https://www.sjfchurch.org. Scroll down, and click on "SC Live".
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the American Heart Association, the Freestore Foodbank, or the Southern Poverty Law Center. Those links can be found here:
American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give?form=FUNQCSERKQD&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1_SkBhDwARIsANbGpFvWxgGLqQpdFYqlIeIpSiX3O4hwR837LPx3rFB0kln_Y-BZgrUGaSsaAqDPEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Freestore Foodbank https://secure3.convio.net/fsfb/site/Donation2?idb=127264902&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1&df_id=7303&mfc_pref=T&7303.donation=form1&idb=127264902&s_src=big_red_button&s_subsrc=fsfb_website&_gl=1*1atc0nu*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2ODgwNzI3NTAuQ2owS0NRancxX1NrQmhEd0FSSXNBTmJHcEZzRFp1ZmROOWpMNElEVnUzZmhVdjhCSDBsTUx3WW5XZmZ5bi1SRm0tSlFidUFGaTh0YXR1TWFBcjBBRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NTIzOTY4OTEzLjE2ODc5ODU5Nzg.*_ga*NTA4MTg0OTIxLjE2ODc5ODU5Nzk.*_ga_WSMGG1L54M*MTY4ODA3Mjc1MC4yLjAuMTY4ODA3Mjc1MC42MC4wLjA
Southern Poverty Law Center
https://support.splcenter.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20006b?df_id=3140&mfc_pref=T&3140.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=2B9818817F2D6D4B3ACBE1DA3C3856A7
Dave was born in 1949 in Appleton, Wisconsin. He grew up with his parents, Joseph William and Anne Christine, along with his younger sister Susan in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. As a child, he enjoyed the outdoors, sports, and stamp collecting. One of his proudest life accomplishments was surviving the 1967 "Ice Bowl" at Lambeau Field with his father. Despite it being the coldest NFL game on record, the Packers went on to win the NFL Championship that day and Dave remained a lifelong cheesehead.
The first in his family to attend college, Dave received a football scholarship to attend Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In addition to playing football and participating in a fraternity, he studied English and Political Science, graduating with honors. He spent a year studying abroad in Ribe, Denmark on a family farm where he developed a lifelong relationship with the Hansen family. He later studied Spanish in Mexico.
When Dave returned to campus, he met the greatest love of his life, Chris. They were married on April 27, 1973. This past April, Dave and Chris celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary.
Dave and Chris had a rich married life. They lived in Little Rock, Arkansas where he worked in the Governor's Office and she was an elementary school teacher. He then took a job with the Lieutenant Governor (later the Governor) of Wisconsin and they moved to Stoughton, Wisconsin. In that role, among other responsibilities, he was an advocate for people who were disabled or elderly. He also received a M.A. in public policy and administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From there, Dave and Chris moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he worked for Ramsey County. There, they welcomed their daughters Amy Erin and Katrina Ann. In 1983, the family moved to Peoria, Illinois where he served for nine years as the Peoria County Administrator. There, Sarah Christine was born. Though he never had a son, he maintained a close bond with Naoya Yukitoki - the Japanese exchange student that the family hosted through the Rotary Club in 2003. And between Chris and his daughters' love of animals, Dave had more than fifty years of experience as a father and grandfather figure to dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, guinea pigs, and amphibians - all of whom are undoubtedly delighted to keep him company while receiving good pets in heaven.
In 1992, the family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served as the Hamilton County Administrator until 2005. He, along with a team of colleagues that he immensely respected, was successful in facilitating the development of the riverfront and two new stadiums. His colleagues describe him as a man of high integrity, a true public servant, and a skilled negotiator with an unassuming sense of humor.
Dave was very proud of his profession and the people within it. He served as president of several professional societies including the International City / County Management Association (ICMA) and the National Association of County Administrators (NACA). During this time, Dave and Chris were able to travel and visit with dear friends around the world. In the last few years, Dave worked with two organizations -Management Partners and Slavin Management Consultants -where he consulted with local governments.
Though Dave was internationally recognized for his accomplishments, he was a quiet and humble person. He was a defender of underprivileged people and animals. Never the life of the party, Dave was nonetheless gifted with an ability to develop and maintain deep, lifelong friendships. He remained close with his sister and many cousins who fondly remembered him for his good humor, reliability, kindness, and what one described as steadfast "leadership in a pack of cousins."
Dave's greatest joys were quiet ones. He liked bird watching on the back porch, reading the newspaper and magazines, playing poker, fishing with friends and his sons-in-law, Reds baseball, Packers football, Xavier basketball, and eating a good beer brat. He went to church every Sunday, but did not talk much about his faith. Rather, he lived it by embodying values of honesty, compassion, and being true to one's word. He was the rock and protector of his family -steady, fair, wise, loyal, and supportive. It was extremely satisfying for him to watch his grandchildren play and grow. He found joy in watching them pretend to cook for him or swim in the family pool. He liked reading to them, blowing bubbles, and watching their emerging accomplishments like dance recitals and a recent baptism. More than anything, he enjoyed the companionship of his wife Chris.
Though he will be deeply missed, his legacy lives on through the countless public servants he has mentored and counseled, his loving wife, his daughters, and his grandchildren, two of whom bear his name -Mason David and Julian David.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, July 6th from 5 - 7 PM at T.P. White & Sons Funeral Home, 2050 Beechmont Avenue in Cincinnati. Words of remembrance will follow at 7 PM with guests invited to listen to or share memories and stories of our dear Dave.
A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 7th at 10 AM at St. John Fisher Church, 3227 Church Street in Newtown, Ohio. It will be followed by a light lunch. The mass will be livestreamed, and can be accessed through the St. John Fisher webpage - https://www.sjfchurch.org. Scroll down, and click on "SC Live".
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the American Heart Association, the Freestore Foodbank, or the Southern Poverty Law Center. Those links can be found here:
American Heart Association https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give?form=FUNQCSERKQD&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1_SkBhDwARIsANbGpFvWxgGLqQpdFYqlIeIpSiX3O4hwR837LPx3rFB0kln_Y-BZgrUGaSsaAqDPEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Freestore Foodbank https://secure3.convio.net/fsfb/site/Donation2?idb=127264902&DONATION_LEVEL_ID_SELECTED=1&df_id=7303&mfc_pref=T&7303.donation=form1&idb=127264902&s_src=big_red_button&s_subsrc=fsfb_website&_gl=1*1atc0nu*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2ODgwNzI3NTAuQ2owS0NRancxX1NrQmhEd0FSSXNBTmJHcEZzRFp1ZmROOWpMNElEVnUzZmhVdjhCSDBsTUx3WW5XZmZ5bi1SRm0tSlFidUFGaTh0YXR1TWFBcjBBRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NTIzOTY4OTEzLjE2ODc5ODU5Nzg.*_ga*NTA4MTg0OTIxLjE2ODc5ODU5Nzk.*_ga_WSMGG1L54M*MTY4ODA3Mjc1MC4yLjAuMTY4ODA3Mjc1MC42MC4wLjA
Southern Poverty Law Center
https://support.splcenter.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app20006b?df_id=3140&mfc_pref=T&3140.donation=form1&NONCE_TOKEN=2B9818817F2D6D4B3ACBE1DA3C3856A7