Mineck, David William

David William Mineck

CEDAR RAPIDS - David “Dave” Mineck passed away Sept. 22, 2010, from complications following a sudden heart attack at his home in Nutfield, England. He was surrounded by his loving family who will miss him tremendously.

Dave was born June 20, 1944, in Washington, D.C., shortly before his family moved to Cedar Rapids. He graduated from Jefferson High School before attending Northwestern University, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and thereafter a master's degree from the University of Michigan.

In Cedar Rapids, Dave worked at Collins Radio and Rockwell International for over 30 years, holding senior director and vp positions in both the General Aviation and Air Transport divisions. In 1995, Dave and his wife, Diana, moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where Dave joined Kaiser Electronics and subsequently became group president of Kaiser Aerospace & Electronics. After retiring in 2000, he continued to work actively in the field of avionics as a consultant and served on the board of several international companies.

Dave is survived by his wife, Diana; in Cedar Rapids by his mother, Arlene; in Des Moines, by his son, Corey and wife Suzanne, and grandchildren, Mari and Bryn, and by his daughter, Carrie and partner Joe Guinta; in England, by his stepson, Alex and wife Catherine, and grandchildren, Oscar and Annabelle, and his stepdaughter, Jenny, and grandchildren, Harrison and Florence; and in Chicago, by his brother, Steve and wife Kathy, and their children, Kristen and Carl.

Dave adored his family, was supportive in their endeavors, was immensely proud of their achievements, relished time with his grandchildren and was a treasured friend and colleague. Dave was a passionate private pilot of both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters.

Funeral services will take place in England on Oct. 8, with a memorial service at Faith Lutheran Church in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 1 p.m.

Memorial donations may be made to the David Mineck Memorial Scholarship at the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, Wis.