David R. Ledenican Sr.
David R. Ledenican Sr. passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 16th, 2025, at the young age of 67 in his residence in Mentor, Ohio. Due to a heart issue that could no longer be denied, the spirit in the sky carried him onto his next big adventure, reuniting him with all his loved ones that departed this life before him. Dave, as we all knew him as, was born in Akron, Ohio, on September 25th, 1957, to Patricia and Ervin Ledenican.
Growing up in Timberlake, where his father built his childhood home, brought about countless memorable fun-filled stories of spending unlimited hours on those endless waves of Lake Erie. He spent much of his youth and adult life adding to the memoir of his venturesome journey with his deep love for boating, fishing, and swimming, as this was one of his favorite places to be.
He lived a very full life, from traveling through the states at a young age, attending many of the old-time concerts, spending time on a yacht for a year, living on Indian reservations in Arizona, and many many more unforgettable stories. But some of his most cherished pastimes, besides on the waters of Lake Erie, were spent riding on his Harleys. He loved the sun on his face, the wind in his hair, and the road at his back. Within his multitude of reminiscing, he had even mentioned that he rode alongside well-known motorcycle clubs, enjoying that open road and adding to his adventurous tales of his crazy and wild past. He had an undying love for music and would listen to it for hours, as rhythm and blues are what coursed through his veins and consumed his soul; wherever he was, you could hear his deep, loudly spoken voice telling you of his shenanigans (probably for the 50th time) over the jamming tunes of that sweet old Rock and Roll.
As a young restless spirit wandering the lands, he found himself far from home in the hot state of Arizona, and much to his surprise, he met another like him; her name was Marsha Papenhagen, just as restless and spirited from his neighboring state of Michigan. When these two stumbled across one another in such a distant land from their own, a whole new journey began, and they married in January of 1979. Unfortunately, Marsha was taken suddenly in 1993 and his heart was broken. He spent much of his life trying to fill that void, and now that long-awaited reunion has finally happened, and until death do us part brings on a whole new meaning.
He spent a great deal of his life driving cement trucks and working on cars, and in the early 80s he and his wife Marsha had started an awning business together, of which they ran for years. His creative mind was forever busy; he would constantly be tinkering with any odds and ends he had lying around, coming up with the most interesting of inventions. He was the mastermind behind many thingamabobs and doohickeys, and he could build or fix just about anything you could throw at him. Some would call him a pack rat, but to him they were treasures to be had, and everything had a use.
Much of his last years were dedicated to his 3 best buds, his birds; Kakers, Hector birdy, and Hannah. He'd spend hours having coffee and banana time with Kakers, talking and jamming to tunes, and no one could scratch Hector birdie's head better than his daddy, and then there was Hannah that would just fly around trying to find her way to freedom to get away from all those crazy men. But his deep, dying love was for his children, Roxanne, David Jr., and Bobby. He loved spending hours teaching them how to work on cars and houses, fishing and hunting, and mostly just hanging out telling the tales of his past.
He thoroughly enjoyed family parties and holidays surrounded by his family and friends, acting like a big goofball. He was a master of sarcastic risqué humor and witty comebacks. He was one who would tell you like it was with nothing whatsoever to hold back, as to some this was his rough edge, but it made him one of the most authentic individuals you would ever meet. He was all the age of 18 in his mind, but his body felt every second of those hard-working years and even harder playing. His love for cooking and parties resulted in endless hours of crazy cookouts. He was a big, burly bear but had a gentle heart and would have given you the shirt off his back and then some.
Dave is survived by his daughter Roxanne (Ledenican) Boncser, his two sons, David (Heather) Ledenican Jr. and Robert (Jacey) Ledenican, and his grandchildren Alexis and Ben Boncser, Skyler Friedman, Giana and Layla Ledenican, Paisley, Wesley, Banks, and Ila Ledenican. His sister Susan Dick and brother Patrick (PJ) Ledenican and many beloved cousins. And last but not least, his 3 favorite birds: Hector birdy, Hannah, and Kakers. He was preceded in heaven by his mother Patricia (Hruby) Ledenican and father Erv Ledenican, wife Marsha (Papenhagen) Ledenican, stepdaughter Anitra Clark, cousin Rick Ledenican, niece Jennifer Delvillian, grandparents, and many more who greeted him home to the eternal afterlife.
He was a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-duplicated free spirit that nobody could hold down; he was a beloved father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend and will be deeply missed but fondly remembered for his love of music, his hard work, and the kindness he showed to those around him.
Per Dave's wishes, there will be no services or memorials at this time, but we will be holding a celebration of life gathering as he wanted us to enjoy time with family and friends listening to his favorite music, eating all his favorite foods and to share all the loving memories of his brief time here with us. For more information, please email roxanneboncser@yahoo.com. Thank you for all your love and support during this difficult time.