David Kratochvil

KRATOCHVIL
David "DAVE" Allen Kratochvil, 61, of Kailua, Oahu, passed away October 2, 2011, following an accident in Honolulu, Hawaii. Born on July 9, 1950 in Rapid City, South Dakota, Dave was a retired Lt. Col, U.S. Marine Corps. He is survived by parents, Adolf "Duff" and Alice Kratochvil of San Antonio, Texas; daughter and son-in-law, Brenda & Scott Eivens and grandchildren Ty and Quinn of Cedar Park, Texas; brother and sister-in-law, Gary & Cindy Kratochvil of Orange County, CA; and nephews, Josh, Adam, Cody, and Dylan. As sons of an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant, Dave and brother Gary relocated frequently spending their childhood years in South Dakota, Ohio, Nebraska, Japan, California, Texas and Alaska. As a young man, Dave developed a love of reading, music, art and the outdoors, which he nurtured throughout his life. He earned his Eagle Scout and, upon graduating high school, won appointments to the US Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Dave graduated from Annapolis in 1972 and was commissioned in the US Marines Corps. During his service career, he assisted with the evacuation at the fall of South Vietnam, participated in drug interdiction joint operations with forces in South America, and served in staff positions in Washington, California, and Hawaii. After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1992, Dave became a defense contractor and continued with that until his death. In 2000, Dave returned to Hawaii where he could indulge his love of the water and outdoors. He was introduced to Hawaiian canoe paddling at the Honolulu Pearl Canoe Club and this became his consuming passion! Completing the annual Molokai race with his team would be one of the highlights of his life. Dave went on to paddle with Windward Kai Canoe Club and then Lanikai Canoe Club. Whether in a six-man or his one-man canoe, Dave enjoyed being on the water and watching the honu (sea turtles). He was intrigued by their serenity and frustrated that he was never quite fast enough with his camera to catch that perfect shot. He would laugh as he shared many photos of half-flippers or partial heads. Dave also enjoyed riding his Harley, making regular treks around the island, soaking in the magnificent beauty and always stopping on the North Shore for a snow-cone refreshment. Quiet hours were always spent reading or listening to music while working on his art - drawing and painting in a variety of media.
Dave's other great passions were his family and friends. He was a tremendous mentor and teacher and was known to all as incredibly kind and generous of heart. He maintained constant contact with family far-and-wide and spent endless hours compiling photo albums of ancestors and asking family for details about their lives. Dave especially enjoyed helping his Mom and Dad with their small farm in San Antonio - pruning trees in their pecan orchard and helping "Pops" with his garden. Dave was like a second father to his nephews and enjoyed not only working with them on various life challenges, but also playing and wrestling--not even the four of them together were strong enough to pin down Uncle Dave! Dave taught his grandchildren to love and respect the Island, as well as to snorkel, boogie board, build sand castles, paddle and catch crabs. Quinn's favorite pastime was hunting for the reclusive "humu" (Hawaiian state fish) while they snorkeled together, while Ty loved finding the big waves to body surf together. A memorial service will be conducted at 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Road, Lost Pines, Texas 78612, on November 19, 2011. Contact brother Gary at 714-345-3755 or garyk2000@cox.net with any questions. In accordance with his wishes, Dave's ashes will later be spread at sea in Hawaii.