Obituary of David F. Lasek

How many times do you think you can cheat death? If I had never known my father, Dave Lasek, my answer would likely be the same as anyone else’s; once? Maybe never? But over the last 35 years, I’ve been surprised and often horrified to learn that the laws of man don’t really apply to supernatural beings and if there ever was one…

David Franklin Lasek was born on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950 to Emily and Edward, the final of their three children. He was affectionately called ‘The Easter Bunny’ for the next 75 years, much to the dismay of my mother. He grew up in Buffalo, the Lovejoy neighborhood specifically, where he ALLEGEDLY wreaked all kinds of havoc and kept his folks on their toes. As a teenager, he took to auto mechanics like a fish to water, attending Burgard High School to further focus on the work he would come to love and be respected and honored for later. He was also an accomplished runner, earning second place in distance running in the entire state of New York. As he told it, with only shoes made of duct tape.

As 1968 rolled around and the Vietnam War lingered, 18 year-old Dave made the impossible decision to enlist in the Army and hopefully escape the fate that so many of his neighborhood friends had met. In what will go down as both the greatest and most devastating era of Dave’s life, he managed to avoid Vietnam entirely, starting in the Motorpool as a mechanic, eventually obtaining the rank of SP 5 and serving as a liaison to the Royal Thai Army, Little Tiger division in Korea. He spent a good portion of his four years relatively safe and in a very honorable role in which his kindness, generosity, and friendship was highlighted and celebrated. He returned home in 1972, freshly 22 years old and with what seemed like a life full of possibility and adventure ahead.

What happened between 1972 and 1987 remains somewhat of a mystery to me, but from what I’ve gathered from the tales, photos, pieces of memorabilia, police reports, and various car parts left behind is that there were a lot of wild times. The hand-painted sign from his shop, Lovejoy Automotive still hangs proudly in my garage, the endless stacks of car and bike manuals and tools are still used, and the photos from every adventure are displayed like trophies on my fridge for friends to see and wonder about. I may not know everything about this time in his life, but I don’t need all the details because that pure Lasek lust for life lives in me, too and I think we have both seen some things and had some laughs.

Of all the luck and fun he had, his most fortunate moment may have been meeting my mom, Deb who famously could simply NOT believe they would have the same initials after getting married. I’ve heard people speak about loyalty and dedication but unless you’ve met D & D Lasek, you have no idea what that entails. While their lives and times were certainly not perfect, if ever there was a couple to ride-or-die, it was these two and they did just that.

Dave and Deb would be the greatest of world travelers, music lovers, fun-chasers, and ultimately parents and partners for all the rest of their days. Cross-country road tripping at every chance, concerts, parties, endless friends at our kitchen table that eventually became known as “the suffering table”, and every holiday done the old-school Polish way was a chance to celebrate and show gratitude for the good times and the people we loved. Dave continued to build, restore, and race cars with friends, serve as Treasurer in the British Car Club, and also held a post-retirement part-time job at an auto parts store where he would lovingly torment customers and co-workers alike with car trivia… No one could out-auto Dave and that was a fact.  

Times were not always good- Dave’s years in the Army unfortunately afforded him the burden of Agent Orange poisoning, to which a great deal of serious medical issues resulted, starting in the late 90s and continuing to complicate his life until the end. Deb, the tireless and ever-devoted wife and nurse poured every ounce of time and energy into Dave and our family, so much so that she fell ill several times herself, eventually succumbing to her fourth bout of Breast Cancer in 2023. Losing my mother caused irreparable damage but it also put me in the position of sole caretaker for my Dad who was at this time, fully disabled. While this proved to be one of the most difficult things I would ever do, it gave me two years of uninterrupted time to get to know Dave again.

We spent Saturday nights watching horror movies with Svengoolie, taking little trips to the casino, going to concerts, and sneaking out for ice cream. We talked cars and music and travelling and also about medical things, which he hated and couldn’t wait to be rid of. Even though he despised being physically limited and without Deb, he remained sharp and present. During this time, he and I were both fortunate to have the help and love of a few very good friends who, in reality, were much more like angels. I don’t know how things would have gone without them, but in hindsight I am sure that my mom had something to do with their presence. She would have moved mountains for either of us.

Dave was somehow both the absolute life of the party and the ever-stoic introvert. I don’t doubt for a minute that he had a special connection to some sort of other-worldly entity that kept him grounded because he was truly unshakable in the face of adversity. After countless life-threatening injuries and personal traumas, he remained cool and collected when most would have wavered or complained. Now this may have been the strong face he put on for his family, but regardless I recognize the sheer mental determination it requires to persevere, remain kind, and keep the single greatest sense of humor that has ever been even while facing inexplicable hardship.

Quick-witted, talented, adventurous, and a friend to every person he’s ever known- maybe misunderstood at times, but isn’t that the true nature of an enigma? 

Dave will be remembered and honored forever by so many friends hiding in all the corners of the world, from snowy Uijeongbu, Korea to the drag strip at Lancaster Speedway, to the dark corners of neighborhood dives, and in every city’s bright lights. Most of all however, he will be remembered and celebrated by me, his daughter. 

Like so many, I never thought Dave would actually pass on; he was that resilient and I was happy to foolishly believe that I’d get to keep him forever. While the shock of his loss still hangs on and I’m faced with living life without my best friend, I’ve found so much comfort in doing the things we loved to do together and wherever I go, in whatever car I’m driving, he is there, unless it’s a Subaru (which it isn’t). I can still hear the wise cracks about leaking oil on his driveway… And while I have spent a good portion of my life deeply resenting the struggles we endured as a family, they made us who we are. 

As a man of *some* words, Dave’s favorite bit of wisdom came directly from the mouth of Mick Jagger…

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you’ll find you get what you need.”

I’m going to keep trying.

Love always and forever to my partner in crime, may the good Lord shine a light on you.

Services Saturday January 24. 2026 at 11 am at Holy Mother of the Rosary Cathedral. Lunch to follow. Flowers accepted and appreciated.