Dave Mehney

David P. Mehney, 86, a long-time resident of East Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 21, 2025.

Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on July 26, 1939, Dave was the son of the late Gayle H. Mehney MD and Catherine Dimick Mehney. He grew up in the area and was a proud graduate of East Grand Rapids High School, Class of 1957.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Linda McMaster Mehney, who passed away in 2020; his adopted daughter, Susan Emmons Nolan; and his sisters, Marilyn Law and Susan Carlton.

He is survived by his five devoted sons: Davey (Carrie), Danny (Brooke), Tommy (Kelly), Billy (Stephanie), and Jimmy (Jaclyn); his 22 grandchildren; and his 2 great-grandchildren.

Dave was a dedicated businessman and a driven entrepreneur. He was the founder of Kawasaki Midwest Motorcycles Inc. (later the KMW Group, Inc.), serving as its president since 1966. He was particularly passionate about exceptional customer service and building strong, long-lasting partnerships in business. His entrepreneurial spirit extended to founding and co-founding several other successful Grand Rapids businesses, including Skytron, Great Lakes Marine, Patterson Ice Center, and Thousand Oaks Golf Club. He also proudly owned Grand Valley Farms, a Hereford cattle farm.

He proudly served as a Director/Board Member for Wolverine World Wide, Inc. from late 1976 until his resignation in April 2012. Dave served the community as an East Grand Rapids City Commissioner for 16 years.

He passionately believed in his businesses and causes, which inspired others to follow his lead and contribute to their success. Beyond his professional achievements, he had a heart for giving back to his community and was a committed philanthropist, supporting charities for education and children, including reading programs and multiple universities.

Dave enjoyed many activities throughout his life, including barefoot water skiing, snow skiing, and racing Baja. He was known to brag that he always knew how to fall without getting hurt. He was an avid gardener, and he had a legendary love for pies and ice cream. For 28 years, Dave proudly coached freshman high school football at East Grand Rapids High school, shaping young lives and instilling values of teamwork and perseverance. He famously preferred to wear no socks and no belts, and rarely a tie.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Service, located at 4291 Cascade Rd SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

A celebration of life will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2026 at Calvary Church, 707 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525, at 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the East Grand Rapids Schools Foundation or the Corewell Health Foundation in Dave's memory.