David Hartig

David James Hartig was born at Pipp Hospital in Plainwell, Michigan on March 27, 1986. He was the much-cherished son of Tom and Lynea Hartig and the beloved brother to Elizabeth and Michael Hartig. He knew his mother’s voice shortly after birth, turning toward her when she spoke his name. His brightness and potential were obvious early on as he stood at the bow window, still in diapers, assembling complicated Lego creations from the drawings in the directions.

From day one, David was surrounded by the love and influence of his brother and sister. He would gladly be the little tagalong in a group of older children. We remember him chasing after a crowd of kids offering, “I’ll be the slave if you guys want.” His oldest friend is probably Adam Bates. They planned devious things together: freezing the Jurassic Park action figure, Ellie, as she was submerged in a bowl of water. We recall Dave wrapping and rewrapping a piece of cardboard with packaging tape until it resembled a shark tooth. He presented it to Adam as a birthday gift.

As a young child, Dave regularly memorized Bible verses for the AWANA program at Calvary Bible Church. His mother treasures the memory of Liz and Mike coming to tell her that they had helped Dave to “ask Jesus into his heart” in the closet under the basement stairs. And while he would not have claimed to be a believer as an adult, she clings to this small testimony of his faith in the Savior.

He was thrilled to join Liz and Mike at Starr School and recently emailed Liz that he “remembered the zoo trip with Mrs. Warner.” Dave was known at school as a smart kid with fantastic drawing skills. He was good to fellow students and never felt it was necessary to bully or to put other children down. He had a great work ethic and took his studies seriously, but would probably recall Snyder’s P.E. class and recess as his favorite elementary subjects. In fifth grade, Dave won the Emily Losey Citizenship Award. No one complained that he won it unjustly. We recall him walking forward to accept it, his head lowered in shyness and modesty. Other buddies from Starr included Danny VanDenBos, Tyler Wright, Luke Roobol, and Alex Raven, to name just a few.

Many a summer day was spent down the road swimming in the Smith family pool with Dawn and Jen. Summertime also meant the annual trek to Tennessee to see Grandma and Grandpa Arnold. Piled into the van with Mom, Liz, Mike, and Dave was close family friend Jane and her girls, Lauren and Lindsey. Each year we hiked to the base of Fall Creek Falls and enjoyed the beauty of nature. The joking and laughter on those southern adventures will be as ever present to us as the fun memories of jumping in the waves of Lake Michigan at Grandma and Grandpa Hartig’s cabin.

Dave began playing AYSO soccer in kindergarten and scored multiple goals his first game. He moved on to play select Force Soccer for Coach Jim Stewart and, after several winning seasons, was ready for something different. All on his own, he began Tae Kwon Do lessons with Master Scott Polderman. He used each class session to its maximum potential: his kicks were unbelievably high, his strikes jarring and accurate. We would often turn around to see the heel of his foot poised at our foreheads or would have to “tap out” to be released from his affectionate, yet firm, hold. He earned a deputy black belt and enjoyed sparring competitions. He became interested in Asian cultures and spent a good amount of time reading about martial arts, Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and life on the other side of the world. This probably prompted him to enroll at Kalamazoo College and KVCC to take beginning Japanese while he was still a high school student. He was also able to visit his sister, Liz, when she was living in Japan. His 6’2” frame was a conspicuous sight, head and shoulders above the crowd.

During high school, he approached Tod Miller about playing football and was allowed to join the team his junior year despite having never played an organized game in his life. He had a blast on the team and served as a captain. He wished he’d started football earlier because “you get to hit people.” He almost broke away from the pack to score a touchdown during the very lopsided win against Otsego during his senior year. It was a sight to behold and he couldn’t stop smiling after the game. He thoroughly enjoyed track and field. He was a mentor to younger students, who wanted to try the hurdles, but high jumping was his best event. His patience and self-discipline were evident as he competed. Dave won the Coach’s Award from Coach Miller in both football and track and the Most Valuable Freshman award in track. He was definitely a team player as well as a leader.

He didn’t spend a lot of time studying in high school but earned top grades. He educated himself by reading all types of non-fiction. When pressured to give novels a try he would say, “Why should I read lies?” He served on the staff of the Trojan Torch school newspaper and received an honorable mention for a sports feature article. Dave’s friendships in high school included several circles of friends, many of whom his parents probably never met. He continued to hang out with old pals from elementary school, as well as Ryan Dennis, Garret Smith, Josh Gower, the Tuinstra boys, Thomas Berlin, and Nate Vemich.

In the fall of 2004, he began his undergraduate career at the University of Michigan. When his sister picked him up from summer orientation he was surrounded by a group of guys “equivalent to his Plainwell friends.” Wherever he went, Dave created a community of peers. He continued his study of the Japanese language and graduated with a minor in Asian studies to add to his major in sociology. He often laughed at himself because he thought the sociology major was a pretty lame one (as his signature quote by Spiro Agnew indicates). Nevertheless, he took 19 credit hours one semester, earning good grades while following his general guideline: no studying after 9:00 p.m. Dave enthusiastically attended all the Michigan Wolverine home football games and played many intramural sports, organizing and energizing team solidarity. As a result of the celebrations and rough play, he took many trips to the emergency room for various injuries, such as a broken toe and a chipped tooth. He loved being outside and enjoyed disc golfing. He pioneered the weekend “vision quest” and joked about being an honorary member of the Blackfoot tribe. He often talked of fun misadventures with Aaron, Patrick, both Kyles, Tall Boy, John, Kerry, Ricky, Devin, and countless others.

He graduated from the University of Michigan in three and a half years and then wanted to try something different, something “real.” He chose the United States Army and entered their Officers Candidate School after completing basic combat/infantry training. He took every physical fitness challenge seriously and always performed at the top or near the top of the group. Once again, he created a community of fine soldier friends with whom he would study, canoe, or generally hang out.

Dave looked forward to moving to Germany and hoped to travel in Europe. He found a beautiful apartment off base, bought a VW Polo, and enjoyed becoming familiar with Wiesbaden. He did not, however, enjoy his job in the adjutant general corps. He felt untrained, overwhelmed, and disrespected. We suspect the job situation and feelings of isolation may have led him to take his own life. Knowing that someone should have helped him and did not is so profoundly disturbing. We all wished we had been more tuned in to his pain; we just did not know the extent of his misery. For someone of his inner fortitude, tolerance, willpower and sense of perspective, his manner of death is inconceivable to all who loved him.

Listing his activities and accomplishments does not give justice to who Dave was or the sheer joy he spread. He was a frugal soul who regularly shopped at Goodwill and chided his parents for their poor money management. Dave found an old turntable and collected albums. His taste in music was as eclectic as his taste in life. He loved classic rock, Motown and soul, reggae, funk, and old school hip-hop. While other college kids were watching Project Runway or Lost, Dave could be found tuned into The Cosby Show or watching World War II documentaries. He was not a materialistic person and the sum total of his possessions is small indeed. His wealth was in friends and experiences.

Dave was able to come up with original quips that put us all in our places. His ironic wit could be very immature—bending over with his rear end in someone’s face as they sat at the dining room table—yet could be penetrating and sophisticated, undercutting pettiness and artificiality. He had a penchant for nicknames: George for his Joint House roommate and best friend, Aaron; Diap for sister, Liz; Wrink, for brother Mike; Jermain from Army training became Jer-main Event; and an unending series of names for his mom: Buff, Buff Tonka, Mongoose, Lloyd, and the one that has endured, Craig.

He was passionate about politics and concerns for social justice, always deploring the abuse of power. From his endless summer days of sweeping Miller-Davis job sites to serving the latest batch of whiny freshman cafeteria food, Dave did his jobs well and with pride. He knew himself and brought his strength of character to each situation, making him easy to like and hard to forget.

Words cannot express the loss of this friend, this brother, this son, this comrade. Dave was mature and insightful beyond his years and, at age 23, died a great man.

For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels won't, and all the powers of hell itself cannot keep God's love away. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, or where we are--high above the sky, or in the deepest ocean--nothing will ever be able to separate us from the love of God demonstrated by our Lord Jessus Christ when He died for us.

Romans 8:37-39