David Disterhaft

David “Dave” Joseph Disterhaft, 83, died on Thursday, February 16, 2023. He was born on the family farm in the town of Seneca (near Berlin) on December 23, 1939, a son of Edward and Isabelle (Strebelinski) Disterhaft. David graduated from Berlin High School and UW-Oshkosh. On August 13, 1966, he married Patricia Trochinski at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Berlin. David grew up on the farm milking cows and raising geese. He worked at a pickle factory, where he was introduced to the Spanish language by his migrant co-workers. To earn money for college, he worked at the leather tannery in Berlin, which is also where he met his future wife. David was a high school Spanish and English teacher for most of his life, spending his entire 43-year career teaching in the Rosendale-Brandon School District. Mr. D thoroughly enjoyed teaching his students and connecting with them in light-hearted humorous ways that made learning fun. He enjoyed taking students and chaperones on biannual trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Spain and annual trips to the Holiday Folk Fair in Milwaukee. Mr. D also directed many plays and was the forensics coach at Laconia High School. David had many hobbies: gardening, running, spending time with his family, refinishing furniture and caning chairs, telling stories, and playing accordion in the polka band The Four Aces. He had a love of animals, notably his childhood dog Lassie and cat Damian. David and his wife sustained their growing family with the garden harvests and also shared it with friends and neighbors. When they bought their house unfinished, David created all of the landscaping. For most of his adult life he was a parishioner at St. Wenceslaus in Ripon, and for many years he was the church picnic chairman. David is survived by his wife Patricia, 5 children, Dimitria (Matt) Van Straten, Darleen (Jason) Duel, Derrick (Michelle), Dominick, and Doreen (Joe) Persha; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; sister Mary Jane, sisters-in-law Doria and Marie, and many other relatives and friends. Mr. D is also survived by his many students. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Florian and Michael, sister Elaine, brothers-in-law Vilas and Tony, and mother-in-law Lucile. Visitation will be Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 4-7 pm with a Rosary at 6:45 pm and Friday, February 24, 2023, from 9-10:30 am at Wiecki-Skipchak Funeral Home in Berlin. A Mass of Christian burial will be Friday, February 24, 2023 at 11 am, at All Saints Catholic Church in Berlin with Fr. John Silva officiating. Interment will follow at St. Michael’s Cemetery. Please make any donations to All Saints School in Berlin.

David Disterhaft

December 23, 1939 - February 16, 2023