David John Warner

David J. Warner, age 74, of Annandale, MN, died peacefully on Saturday, March 18, 2023, while on a Baja Peninsula cruise near Long  Beach, CA.  

Memorial services will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, June 26, 2023 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Annandale with visitation one hour  prior to the service. Pastor Alex Becker will officiate. Burial will take place at a future date at Woodlawn Cemetery in Annandale. Memorials may be given to St. John's Lutheran Church (Youth Ministry) or to the Pleasant Lake Improvement Association (PLIA).

David John Warner was born May 19, 1948, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the only child of Franklin and Leona (Brockoff) Warner. David  was raised in Minneapolis, just down the street from the famous Matt's Bar, where David would walk as a kid and pick up a Jucy Lucy for  dinner. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1966, and then furthered his education at St. Cloud State University, graduating in  1971. 

In September of 1969, David boldly approached a group of ladies at a bar in Brainerd and introduced himself to Gloria Hurt and asked  her to dance. The evening ended with Gloria giving David a check from her checkbook with her contact information on it (she crossed  out her account information). To this day, David kept the check in his wallet and would reminisce with his sons about the day he met  their mother. Even though David was an only child and could be considered a "city slicker", he quickly won over Gloria's 6 siblings from  western North Dakota. Their meeting could be considered destiny, as both David and Gloria had a pair of matching 1968 & 1969 Chevy  Malibus. On June 26, 1971, they were united into marriage in Belfield, North Dakota.  

They began their married life together near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis where they lived when their eldest son, David, was born. Later  that year, they moved to Prior Lake. This was a wise decision, as the move brought the Warners lifelong neighborhood friends, the  Larsons, Boesers, and Boydens, who to this day are extended family. In 1981, their younger son, Joseph, was born.  

David worked in graphic design for Northstar in Minneapolis and Scoville Press in Plymouth. In 2006, David and Gloria began building  their retirement dream home on Pleasant Lake in Annandale; on the same property as the family cabin , which was built by David's  father in the 1950's. 

The majority of the Warner family memories have been in Annandale. With Gloria having summers off and David working in Plymouth,  much of their time was spent on Pleasant Lake with family and friends. The small cabin would often have 16-20 children and adults  sleeping in every corner. David patiently worked with each child to get them up on water skis and would spend hours pulling kids  around the lake. As in Prior Lake, their Pleasant Lake neighbors also became an extension of the Warner family. 

During retirement, David was able to pursue his lifelong dream of creating pottery. He started his own company, Pottery on Pleasant  "POP". In 2017, he was voted the favorite local artist at the Annandale Art Crawl. 

David was known for his sense of humor and ability to make people laugh. In his younger years he would volunteer with the Jaycee's as  a clown at children's hospitals. He loved to play pranks and jokes on family and friends. His daughters-in-law were not excluded from his  shenanigans; however, they did not hesitate to give it right back to David. He had an abundant amount of love and support for  everyone. Although he wasn't the handiest repairman, he always offered to help them. 

David was a coach and the number one fan for his boys. He coached their baseball and basketball teams, hit tennis balls for hours with  David and golf balls with Joe. These acts carried over to his grandchildren. He was their biggest fan and he shared his magic, love of  puzzles, and his art with them. He and his granddaughter Maiya had a special signal before she engaged in one of her many activities.  She would look at him and tug on her ear. In return, he would tug back, signaling, " You've got this!" 

David served as a role model to his boys on how to be a good husband and overall good person. He gave Gloria love taps on the knee,  made sure she would safely get places, and checked in with her so he knew she was okay. He showed Gloria unwavering and  unconditional love. 

David is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gloria of Annandale; son, Joseph (Naomie) Warner of Las Vegas, NV; daughter-in-law, Karoline  Warner of Shakopee; four grandchildren, Maiya, Esme, Adeline, and Thatcher, and his extended family, friends, and neighbors. He is  preceded in death by his parents, Franklin and Leona, and his dear son, David.  

Arrangements are entrusted to Dingmann Funeral Care Burial and Cremation Services of Annandale.  

Obituary, Guestbook, Video Tribute, and Funeral Webcast online at  www.dingmannfuneral.com
 

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