David Carroll Kaiser, 85, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2022, in Roseburg, Oregon. He was born on October 11, 1937, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Charles and Leona Kaiser and was raised in the borough of Avalon. In his teens, he discovered a love and aptitude for fixing cars; the rest is history. Dave was an auto mechanic for his entire adult life.
He married Therese Orr on December 28, 1960, at Sacred Heart Church in Covina, CA. Dave served 2 yrs in the army stationed at Camp Roberts in Paso Robles, California. He and Therese moved to Paso Robles and joined St. Rose of Lima Church.
Dave opened his business, Kaiser’s Automotive, in Paso Robles after the army, eventually moving the business and family to Templeton, California. Their children, Carol, Jim, and Becki, were born in the 1960s. Dave was a volunteer firefighter in Templeton and served as Fire Chief from 1976-79. He was also a member of the Templeton Lions Club for 25 yrs.
In 1994, Dave and Therese moved to Roseburg, Oregon, where they became members of St. Joseph Parish, and Dave became active in the local Knights of Columbus, rising to the highest rank of 4th degree.
Throughout his life, Dave practiced his faith outwardly through service. As his friend, Mike DeStefano, expressed after his passing, “[Dave’s] authentic way of being has touched a number of other souls in friendship and his devotion to community service.” Dave talked about looking forward to the beautiful, fully equipped shop that God had waiting for him in Heaven, where he is now God’s “Top Wrench”.
Dave is reunited in Heaven with his parents, Charles and Leona (Scrivens) Kaiser; sister, Brenda (Kaiser) Boggs; grandson, Joey Kaiser; and several brothers- and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews. He is survived by his wife, Therese (Orr) Kaiser, of Roseburg; daughter Carol (Bob) Whaley and their children, Bobby, Tess, and Chris, of San Diego; son, Jim Kaiser, of Templeton, and his stepdaughters, Devon and Tyler Lima, of California; daughter, Becki (John) VanderKarr, of Roseburg, and their son, Jacob, of Eugene; sister, Sherry Kaiser, of Pittsburgh; goddaughter Tricia (Orr) Ambroz, of Minnesota; several brothers- and sisters-in-law and their children; and many friends from Pittsburgh, Templeton, Paso Robles, and Roseburg.
A Rosary will be said on Friday, January 20, at 11:30 am, followed by a Funeral Mass at 12:10 pm at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Roseburg. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery immediately following Mass. A reception will be held in the church community room at the parish center on W. Stanton St, Roseburg, at 2 pm. A Legacy.com page will be available soon.
