David Palmer Kindt

David Palmer Kindt, age 78 of Hudson, OH, passed away at home on March 7, 2025, surrounded by immediate family and dogs who loved him deeply. Dave was born in Rocky River, OH on June 23, 1946 to the late David T. and Virginia E. (nee Palmer) Kindt. He is survived by his beloved wife, Diane Christine (nee Swallow); loving children Bryan David Kindt and Tracy Ann (Brian) Uher, and step-daughters Melanie Christine (Nathan) Painter, Julie Catherine (Todd) Shaw, and Valerie Theresa (Chris) Wirtanen; and cherished grandchildren Liam and Violet Painter, Theodore and Miriam Shaw, and Fielding and Maeve Wirtanen.
Dave attended Columbus Business School, graduating in 1969. He joined the US Army Reserves in 1971 and served until his discharge in 1975. His entire professional career, including sweeping the factory floors for petty cash at age 8, was centered on working for the family business, The Kindt-Collins Company LLC, founded in 1914 by his grandfather. Kindt-Collins started as a pattern shop which evolved into the production of Specialty waxes for world-wide applications in the aerospace, dental, and jewelry industries. Early in his career, Dave was sent to Springfield, MA to resurrect a failing regional office and increased sales by more than 50% in his first year. He realized that meeting his customers face-to-face was necessary for the wax industry and this became his business strategy. The sale of Kindt-Collins to an investment group in the mid-seventies brought Dave back to Cleveland headquarters, and for the remainder of his career he was President of Ferris and Specialty Waxes. Drawing on earlier experience, Dave became a world traveler to meet his customers in their home countries. He made over 40 trips to three continents: Asia, Europe, and Australia. He alone visited China and India both at least ten times. These experiences taught him the nuances of cultural differences and made him the consummate people person. He rode elephants in India, toured the Great Wall of China, survived a typhoon in his hotel in Hong Kong, and was entertained lavishly by geishas in Tokyo. His favorite two cities in the world were Hong Kong and Amsterdam. He was exposed to native cuisines in countries he visited which made him the ultimate gourmand. Who can turn down fish eyeball soup in China?
Dave lived for 36 years in Hudson. In August 2006, while walking his neighborhood with his Leonberger dog Chance, he met Diane, who had just purchased what was -at that time- the worst house in the neighborhood. Dave was a master at home repair, and was intrigued by her grandiose plans of rehabbing it. What began as a friendship, with plenty of unsolicited advice from Dave about the renovation, blossomed into a love affair of the ages that culminated in Dave and Diane's marriage in that very home in March of 2008.
Dave had his son and daughter, Diane had her three daughters, and a blended loving family emerged. With the birth of grandson Liam in 2008, Dave discovered the greatest joy of his life: being Pa. Diane became the highest unpaid caregiver (lol) in Hudson, and in May 2011, Dave enthusiastically joined those ranks, retiring from Kindt-Collins following its sale to the now Dutch conglomerate Paramelt Argueso Kindt. Granddaughter Violet arrived three weeks later, and for the next twelve years, Pa and Grammy helped raise the grands, instilling a lifetime of advice and influence, silly games, and "circle of safety" traditions. Four more grandchildren- Theo, Fielding, Miri, and Maeve- arrived, and Pa loved and adored them all.
Dave was the ultimate party animal, and traditions of gatherings and celebrations began immediately in 2008. Dave was known for his appetizer spreads, extensive bar offerings, and being the consummate host and entertainer. Smooth Jazz was always playing in the background at every gathering except for Christmas music. He could fix ANYTHING and he and Diane loved their home maintenance projects. He treated Diane like a queen and always considered her first. Dave and Diane looked forward to their weekends, starting with Sexy Friday, and you could find them at their home bar or patio enjoying drinks and conversation, hors d'oeuvres, and playing one of their nineteen Trivial Pursuit games. He loved his adult children dearly, loved Diane's daughters and families, and was grateful for the opportunity to share this last part of his life so extensively with them. He will be profoundly missed by all.
A special note of gratitude and appreciation is extended to Crossroads Hospice who treated Dave and his family with ultimate respect and deference. Thank you Kaylee, as Dave's beautiful caregiver, you were such a comfort to Dave and he looked forward to your visits and the conversations from politics to baking!
Lastly, Dave always noted that on gravestones, only the beginning and ending date of a person's life was listed, but what about the dash?, he would say. Dave, I hope the above did justice to your dash. Cheers Dave!
Services and interment at Draper Cemetery in Hudson will be held privately with a celebration of his life to follow. Arrangements by Johnson-Romito Funeral Home, Hudson, OH.
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