David William Hanke

David William Hanke, of Saint Charles, MO, passed away Saturday, June 5, 2021, at the age of 74. Beloved husband of 52 years to Jami Hanke; cherished son of the late Milton and Ruth Hanke; much-loved son-in-law of the late James and Patricia Lewis; devoted father of Scott (Amanda) Hanke and Shelley (Stewart) Forrest; loving grandfather of  Tiffany (Jonathan) Ward, Tori Hanke, Sam Forrest, Carson Hanke, and Preston Hanke; treasured great-grandfather of McKenzie, Layla, Owen, Simon, and Sebastian; dear brother of Don (Sue) Hanke and Jack (Margie) Hanke; brother-in-law of Jeff Lewis and Jim Lewis.  David is also survived by many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

David served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from 1966 to 1972. He worked at the Chrysler plant in Fenton, Missouri for 30 years until his retirement.

David and Jami were married on May 10, 1969.  Who knew that asking for a ride home from college would lead to a lifetime together?  David treated Jami like a queen.  He did everything and anything for her and is the love of her life.  Together they raised two children, Scott and Shelley, who were guided by their dad’s work ethic, optimism, out-going personality, and friendly nature.  The grandchildren adored their PaPa.

David was very close with his family, especially his identical twin brother, Don, with whom he has a special bond that very few people experience. The two of them are the definition of double the trouble and double the fun.  Many school friends called them both “Hank” because they were never quite sure who they were talking to. There are lots of funny twin mix-up stories, like the time when nurses thought that David escaped from the hospital after minor surgery, but it was really Don who was visiting him.  David and Don often visit the local donut shop for coffee and the camaraderie. Because of their exuberance, the owner of the donut shop jokingly instituted the rule of having only one Hanke in the shop at a time (the “Hanke Rule”)!

David would do anything to help anyone.  Family, friends, neighbors, racing buddies, donut shop buddies, McDonald buddies, gym buddies, colleagues, dog walkers, the mail person and store clerks were all recipients of David’s kindness and good cheer.  He never knew a stranger and had the gift of gab!  He was always the life of the party.

David shared many laughs with friends and family. Vacations to Walt Disney World with his grandchildren brought him much joy and heaps of laughs.  He was even the grand marshal of the Disney Main Street parade!  Visiting Arizona, basking on beaches in Florida, staying at “Little Cedar” (his brother Jack’s home in Louisiana), or traveling to Yellowstone on the bus tour from hell with friends, are some of the memories that we will cherish.  Spending time at his mother’s lake house was especially fun for David and all his family.  Water skiing, swimming, boat rides and exciting games of “knock” to cap off the evenings were always great fun.  Many summer nights at the lake also included the twins’ possum and squirrel impersonations...hilarious!  David was also a Rams season ticket holder and loved to tailgate with friends and family.

Dave loved cars.  His dog Holley, who was adored by Dave, was even named after Holley Carburetors.  His family would say he “had gasoline in his veins”.  Dave converted his 1974 Nova, which started as a family car, into a drag race car – the “Hanke Panke”.  Dave and Don spent hours together working on the race car in the garage and were thrilled to race it every chance they could.  Squirrel hunting in “the big woods” was also a sport that Dave enjoyed.

Dave was always working on a project, such as laying hardwood flooring, rewiring a light, working on the pool, or fixing something.  He could always figure it out.  He had a tool for everything.

David was dearly loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Memorial contributions can be made in David’s honor to the Humane Society of Missouri or to the charity of your choice.

Baue Funeral Homes is currently following CDC recommendations regarding mask and social distancing policies.