Obituary of David D. Schlesselman

David Dixon Schlesselman, 79 passed away peacefully January 17th, 2023 at Thompson Hospital surrounded by his family after a sudden illness. David is predeceased by his father Clayton Schlesselman, his mother Jane (Briggs) Schlesselman. David is survived by his loving wife Kathy of Canandiagua, NY of nearly 40 years. His brother Kurt Schlesselman (Jeannie) of Selma, IN. Children; Amy Kate Edwards (Jerry) of Reno NV, David Schlesselman (Michelle) of Farmington, NY, Terri Velez (Bryan) of Toano, VA, and Jonathan Green (Talia) Lihue, HI. His beloved grandchildren Jacob and Jordan Edwards of NV, Sadie, Sophie, and Valeria Schlesselman of NY, and Cassandra and Sonia Velez of VA. Nephews Eric and Kyle Schlesselman of IN. David was born in Cleveland, Ohio January 1, 1944 to Clayton and Jane Schlesselman. He lived on Kelly's Island until he was 8 years old and then they moved to Pleasant Valley. Dave graduated from Hammondsport High School in 1963. He and his mother both became Ham Radio Operators together, their call signs were WB2JDN (David) and WB2JDM (Jane). They shared a great love of talking to people all over the world. One of David's favorite moments was talking to the relay team of the Challenger STS-7 in 1983, he thought that was pretty cool. Dave was a lifelong mechanic, his mother had noted in his baby book he loved anything with wheels and delighted in taking his toys apart to see how they worked. He loved motorcycles and took many road trips and attended hill climbs and rallies on the weekends. David met Kathy in 1982 and they were married in April of 1983. In 1986 he bought a Honda Helix scooter, as usual he went to work tinkering and designed sides to the windshield. He wrote to Scoot-Tours newsletter and shared his design and many other tips, and fixes for his coveted scooter. David and Kathy moved to Kauai, HI in 1992. In 1995 after a heart attack he opened his own shop, Dave's Small Engine Repair and quickly became the go to mechanic for many of Kauai's landscape companies. They moved back to Newark, NY in 2011 and Dave became an avid bicycle rider and began building his own electric tricycle. Even in the last few years, as his health declined he would often be tinkering on anything Kathy would let him bring in the house. He enjoyed YouTube, always interested in learning new things and seeing the electric bikes become popular. His joyful smile and generous heart will be sorely missed. Our family wishes to acknowledge our extended family and friends who have lifted our hearts with their kindness. We also thank his wonderful home care team, with your love and support he was able to remain home with Kathy and that means the world to us. We would also like to thank his lifetime care nurses, and the FF Thompson ER and ICU team for your care and compassion while caring for Dave. The family will be holding a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations in David's name may be made to: Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 3A Short Hills, NJ 07078 https://www.christopherreeve.org/donate