David Lawrence Halko

David Lawrence Halko died peacefully at home on January 11, 2025, after a long illness. He was 88 years old.
He is survived by Lovina Halko, his wife of 65 years, and their two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren; his brother Richard Halko and sister-in-law Jacqueline; his cousin Susan Sevian, and his nephew Brian McVeigh. His sister Carolyn Radclyffe, cousins Linnea Aarnio and Peter Halko, and niece Linda Leto predeceased him.
Dave was born in Brooklyn, New York, to the late David and Aino (Jokela) Halko, part of a large community of immigrants from Finland. He was graduated from Sewanhaka High School on Long Island and Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering. At Renssalaer he met Lovina Jeannette Bright, a student at Albany State College. They married in 1959 and had two children: Lisa in 1960, and David ("Butch") in 1961. Dave was a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He introduced his children and grandchildren to the sports he enjoyed: hockey, golf, and skiing. He loved to play the guitar and sing with his family.
Dave's work in paper manufacturing brought him and Lovina to Johnsonburg and Erie, Pennsylvania; Oswego, New York; North Bend, Oregon; Germantown, Tennessee; and Grays Harbor, Washington. He also built and managed paper mills in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and Selma, Alabama. Among many professional accomplishments, he developed the first paper for laser printers made entirely from recycled materials. He also insisted on fairness and equality for Black employees of the Selma plant despite resistance from some local leaders and businesses.
In 1999, Dave and Lovina retired to Tellico Village in Loudon, Tennessee, where they were active members of the Community Church and avid golfers, boaters, and fans of Lady Vols basketball. Dave was honored to read lessons at church, and enjoyed working with the Tellico Village Players. They traveled with friends from Tellico Village and with a group of fraternity brothers and their wives from their college days. They also learned to play cutthroat games of Hand and Foot –a skill that remained with Dave even as vascular dementia cruelly limited his abilities.
A brief service of inurnment will be held at the Community Church in Tellico Village at 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 25, followed by a quiet gathering at the Tellico Yacht Club.