On Thursday, Oct. 20, our family lost a tremendous presence, DAVID LEON TETKOSKIE.
He was a big man in size, voice, laughter and most importantly – heart. Dave was born in Shamokin, Pa. on Jan. 25, 1939. Although his roots began in the North, he became a Southern convert after meeting the love of his life, Janet Woodward, in Shreveport, La. Three short months later, they began a marriage that would produce two children and last 61 years.
Never one to shy away from big responsibilities, Dave lied about his age to join the Army at 17. This twenty-year career took him to assignments around the world, including Thule, Greenland; two locations in Germany; and a year-long tour in Vietnam. After his retirement in 1976, the family settled in Janet’s hometown of Little Rock, Ark.
Idle retirement didn’t suit Dave. He took a job at Sears where he could indulge his knack for charming strangers. Later, he worked at UPS while taking classes at UALR. Eventually, he began a second career as a fraud investigator for the State of Arkansas, a role that he retired from twice (after the first attempt didn’t take). His free time was spent building and flying radio-controlled airplanes, golfing as a member of the Rebsamen Golf Course DPs, and playing bridge at the level of Life Master. Dave is preceded in death by his parents, Leon Bonaventure Tetkoskie and Catherine Grobleski Tetkoskie; brothers Leon (Ted) Tetkoski and Daniel Tetkoskie; and sister Barbara Kopitsky. He is survived by his loving wife, Janet Woodward Tetkoskie of Little Rock; son Alan Tetkoskie (Alicia) of Jacksonville; daughter Kelly Tetkoskie Hight (Brian) of Seattle; grandchildren Trey Doan (Mara) of Seattle, Nick Tetkoskie (Megan) of North Little Rock, and Daniel Tetkoskie (Megan) of Conway; sister Rosalie Martin of Oxford, NJ; and eight great-grandchildren. He is also missed by his adopted Southern family, including siblings-inlaw David (Woody) Woodward, Emma McCrary (Walls), Gene Woodward (Kaye), Kathy Goss (Ron), Jerry Woodward, Nancy Browning (Charles), and Debbie Benson (Chris); and many nieces, nephews, and greats. “Big Bad Dave” was loved by all. Words are inadequate to describe the impact of this man’s big personality on family, friends, colleagues, and anyone else fortunate enough to cross his path. A memorial service will be held at Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m., preceded by a visitation at 9 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the charity of your choice.