David Glen Meisner

In Loving Memory of David Glen Meisner

January 13, 1954 – November 4, 2026

David Glen Meisner, a longtime resident of Dearborn, Michigan, passed away on November 4, 2026, following a battle with Parkinson's disease.

Dave lived a big life.

A proud graduate of Dearborn High School who later attended Northern Michigan University, Dave was a naturally gifted athlete with a fiercely competitive spirit. He excelled in football and track and field, setting records during his high school years. His love of athletics continued throughout his life, ultimately taking him through nearly 50 marathons, including Boston, New York City and Detroit, as well as numerous triathlons and ultramarathons.

As proud as Dave was of his own accomplishments, some of the most important parts of his life happened on the sidelines rather than at the finish line. As a father to Alexandria and Peter, he took a genuine interest in whatever they were doing and was a constant presence at their sporting events and activities while they were growing up. He carried that same enthusiasm into coaching and supporting other young athletes.

Dave coached track and field and soccer and was a familiar volunteer at Dearborn High wrestling meets and track events. He was happiest when he could help someone else, whether it was coaching a sport, teaching a new skill or lending a hand with a project. He took genuine pleasure in encouraging others and helping young people work toward goals of their own.

Dave was equally talented with his hands. He could build a deck, renovate a kitchen, tackle an entire house addition or find a way to fix almost anything. Creating something tangible and seeing a difficult project come to life suited him perfectly, but so did using those talents to help someone else.

That was Dave. He loved a challenge, and he loved people.

He was competitive, determined and famously stubborn, but could also be remarkably willing to simply go with the flow. He loved music, sports, building things and being around people. Dave could get along with just about anybody. He made friends with his children's friends, their parents and coaches, the staff at Bdubs, neighbors and countless others he encountered along the way.

Dave's life was not without difficult chapters. Like all of us, he was imperfect. He experienced struggles and made choices that changed the course of his later years and sometimes made life harder for himself and for those who loved him. Those struggles, however, do not erase the life he lived before them, or the love, laughter and lessons that remained.

Despite the hardships life brought his way, Dave maintained a positive mindset and cheerful demeanor. He was happiest when helping others, whether with a house project, coaching a sport, teaching a new skill or simply lending a hand. His ability to connect with people was equally remarkable. Dave got along with just about anybody and seemed to make friends wherever life took him.

In his later years, as Parkinson's changed what Dave was physically able to do, his positive spirit and ability to connect with people remained. At Rose Cottage, where he lived with the support of caregivers and a community around him, Dave once again made quite an impression, sharing his contagious smile and sense of humor with the staff, caregivers and residents around him. His family especially treasured the moments when his familiar goofy laugh would emerge and soon have everyone laughing along with him.

Dave is survived by his daughter, Alexandria Gaynier, and her husband, Brandon Gaynier; his son, Peter Meisner; his three cherished grandchildren, Maxen, Quinn and Lola Gaynier; and his brother, Russell Meisner.

Dave's legacy cannot be measured simply by nearly 50 marathons, athletic records, coaching, buildings or projects completed. It can be found just as much in the people he helped shape: his children and grandchildren, the athletes he encouraged, the people he helped, the friends he made everywhere he went, and the lessons his life taught, both intentionally and unintentionally.

He lived big. He lived imperfectly. He was deeply loved.

And he will be remembered.