When most people think of David, they know that David is love, but David was also a fighter.
When David was born 3 lb15 oz and the doctor told my parents, “he wouldn’t give him a nickel for his life”. He stayed in the hospital for weeks until he was strong enough to go home. For 57 years he fought hard and proved that doctor wrong.
He grew up as our big brother first to Dan, then Joel and Dawn. Growing up in Flushing, Michigan, the highlight on Fridays was mountain dew and long john doughnuts. Having David as a big brother was like always having a best friend. He had bragging rights with Dan for 25 years reminding him of the bloody nose he gave him when they wrestled. He loved country music and Dawn would be rocking her baby dolls to the rhythm of Loretta Lynn. He loved playing basketball and swimming with Joel at the YMCA. These moments we will never forget.
Moving to Wisconsin opened up many opportunities for David. Fairview South opened up the door for David to accomplish so much and to enjoy an incredible life. He loved going to the dances with his girlfriend, MaryBeth and he would go well after he graduated. He learned an occupation as a grocery bagger and retired as a bagger after 26 years. He loved his coworkers and customers he served and they all loved him.
Competitiveness was in the blood as he was an accomplished athlete with Special Olympics in swimming and basketball. He loved parties. He started talking later as a little boy, but when he learned to talk he never stopped. He absolutely loved people. He was very active and had numerous hobbies including bowling, scrapbooking, working in “his office”, playing basketball, and an extensive collection of country music CDs and books. Because of David the love of country music will always be in our hearts. He absolutely loved to travel and went to many places including Florida, California, Missouri, but his favorite was The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Photography was David’s passion, and he took his camera everywhere. Though we teased him about all the pictures, we now treasure them. For 25 years, his Thursday ritual was getting his photos printed at Walgreens, going to the library and walking to Pizza Hut and for lunch and as much Pepsi as he could drink.
His love of Jesus was always part of his life. He ushered with Joel and was a greeter with my mom. He loved dressing up and going to church every Sunday. He also loved being a part of Jesus Cares. He even was in a commercial, where he shared “I am” that represented “I am a Christian”.
David was a proud Uncle. He attended their sporting events and special occasions and loved spending time with them. He was even the God Father to Lucas (nephew) And Paige (niece). His niece Julia spent a lot of time with him when she moved home from college. She became one of his caretakers and they became very close. Whether it was taking walks around the block to get his legs moving, or playing Jenga while he fell asleep, they made memories. Julia and David even had a painting day where David created a beautiful picture that Julia kept after this time. Her last time seeing him, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
He continued to show how loving he was even when he could not talk any longer. His last words were “I love you” and the last thing he knew how to do was pucker his lips for a kiss on the cheek.
He lived every day to the fullest. The last 3 years of his life he was a fighter. His favorite part of the day was when his family visited him and we tried to visit daily. He was surrounded by so many caretakers that loved and adored him. They often said he was their favorite and they would even visit him even if he was not his patient.
David's impact on others was astounding. He loved everyone he met. He was a leader in his class and showed even with a disability you can achieve anything! He showed others how to love first, forgive unconditionally, and was a best friend to any one he met. Above all he loved Jesus.
David passed away on December 17, 2025 at the age of 57 years old.
David is survived by and will be dearly missed by his mom Gwendolyn Berth; his siblings, Dan Berth, Joel Berth (Jennifer Berth); Dawn Koutsky (Bryan Koutsky); his nieces and nephews, Lucas Berth, Nicholas Berth, Julia Hilzley, Branden Koutsky; Matthew Hilzley, Paige Hilzley, Alyiah Aziz-White; Sahara Aziz-White; his aunts and uncles, Sharon Michalak (Robert); Clarene Drinkwine (Bonnie); and Robert Lakso. Preceded in death by his dad Donald Berth.
Visitation Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at Bethlehem Ev. Lutheran Church,
N84 W15252 Menomonee Ave in Menomonee Falls from 11AM until time of the Funeral Service at 1PM, followed by procession to Sunnyside Cemetery for burial. Following the burial, we invite you to continue celebrating David’s life with pizza, Pepsi, Twinkies, and shared stories that honor his beautiful life back at church. All are welcome.