David J. Waltz
David J. Waltz passed peacefully from this world on April 30, 2020, surrounded by his family.
Dave was born in New Hampton, IA and grew up in Fredericksburg, IA. He was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Virginette Waltz. He is survived by his wife, Theresa (Porto) and their three children and families: Bret and Rebecca Waltz and Josephine and Wyatt; Jessica Waltz and Tom Brown and Fiona; Kristin and Tim Perra and Max, Sam, and Grace; sister Diane and her husband Richard Johnson, who was Dave’s lifelong friend; sister Suzanne Waltz; and sister Nancy Klenske.
Dave loved life and lived it well. He loved to tell stories of his youth in Iowa at his grandparents’ farm and his father’s grocery store. He graduated from Iowa State University, where his fascination with history and his love for Theresa began. He lived in Des Moines, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, raised his family in Connecticut where he lived for over 30 years, and lived out his retirement by the beach on Singer Island, Florida.
It was also in Connecticut that Dave created a whole new family — his colleagues and employees at GH Berlin Oil. Under Dave’s leadership, GHB grew from a small, local distributor based in Hartford, CT, to one of the largest lubricant companies in the country. During these two decades, Dave was known for his focus on, compassion for, appreciation of, and dedication to the employees that helped him run and grow the company.Dave was almost larger than life. He loved to travel and share those experiences with family and friends and had just booked a trip to Antarctica in 2022 to cross the final continent off of his bucket list.
He loved UConn Men’s and Women’s Basketball, UConn Football, and the NY Yankees. He also maintained a soft spot for the Iowa State Cyclones. He and Theresa shared a passion for duplicate bridge and became life masters together. He loved negotiating a good deal, especially at a tag sale, and he loved telling others about his great finds. He loved good food and having a few drinky-poos. He had a huge sense of humor that was appreciated by many and endured by some. He had a big personality and similarly big opinions to share, some of which weren’t always easy to hear, but most of which were worth their weight in gold.
Above all, Dave was a generous and steadfast husband, father, brother, grandfather, friend, and citizen. He impacted everyone he came into contact with and even some he never knew, and his loss will be felt by many. Dave’s time ended too soon: he was ready to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with Theresa in August and his 75th birthday in September. He had more bridge to play, more pools to swim in, more places to visit, and more wisdom to pass on. We should have anticipated that Dave’s love of quick and strategic exits would carry him to the Great Beyond that way as well.
Because of the current national situation, no memorial services are planned at the present time; however, when social distancing rules have been relaxed, we hope to gather for a Celebration of Life. In lieu of gifts or flowers, please consider making a donation in David’s name to Foodshare of Greater Hartford, the Palm Beach County Food Bank, or to your local food bank, as this need was close to Dave’s heart and on his mind in his final weeks.
