David Garvis

1949 - 2025

David John Garvis, 75, formerly of Sioux City, has passed away in Eldersburg, Md. on August 17 after a battle with cancer. David, the son of LeRoy and Dorothy (Kahoun) Garvis, was born in 1949 in Sioux City, Iowa. He was raised in Sioux City and educated in the parochial school system of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City graduating from Heelan High School in 1967. He graduated from Briar Cliff University in Sioux city in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in English.

He was united in marriage in 1969 with his loving wife Frieda (Mech) and they have two sons, David P. Garvis and Christopher P. Garvis. His family was at his side at his passing.

While In Sioux City he was very active in local Masonic organizations. He was a 50-year member of Tyrian Lodge #508, serving the Lodge as Master in 1982. He was also active in Sioux City York rite, serving as Commander of Columbia Commandery #18 in 1982, the Sioux City Consistory and Abu Bekr Shrine.

David was a partner and Vice President of A.B. Dick Products Company of Siouxland until selling his interest to his partners in 1982 and moving his family to Chicago to work for A. B. Dick Company as marketing manager and director of nationwide field support.

While in Chicago, he was recruited by Zenith Data Systems, a division of Zenith Electronics to lead the company's Bid and Proposal team which was responsible for responding to requests from a multitude of state and federal government agencies for the company's computing products. He wrote and managed proposal activities resulting in two of the then-largest U.S. Government contacts for laptop and desktop computers. These contracts brought a combined value of over $2 billion in revenue to Zenith Electronics during the late 1980s.

In 1997 he joined Mykotronx, Inc., a California company specializing in secure data communications. At Mykotronx, David and his colleagues designed the company's product lines which became the US Government's standard products for modernization of secure data links with over 100,000 units delivered. Mykotronx was acquired by SafeNet in 2003.

He was the Vice President of Federal Sales for SafeNet Government Solutions (GS). In this role he was responsible for direct sales of the company's high-security products to various user communities within the US Government and to authorized governmental agencies outside the United States. He was the executive responsible for maintaining customer relationships within the major program offices using these products.

He also established and directed the company's relationships with the Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand Defense Agencies authorized to buy these products directly from the company. He retired from this professional role in 2014.

David learned to fly at age 55 and was an FAA-certificated Private Pilot with an Instrument rating. He and Frieda owned a Cessna 177 airplane for 15 years and flew it extensively in the mid-Atlantic region and often made trips back to the Midwest to visit family and friends. He accumulated more than 1,100 flight hours.

In addition to his wife and sons, he is survived by grandson, Angel G. Vasques of La Jolla, Calif.; brother, Dennis and his wife, Pamela of Templeton, Iowa; brothers-in-law, George J. Mech and his wife, Mae of Davenport, Iowa, Walter R. Mech and his wife, Darlene of Prior Lake, Minn.; and many nieces and a few nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Tim. Memorials can be made to the charity of your choice or Abu Bekr Shriners Hospital or to Shriner's Hospitals for Children.