Lyle Huntsinger
Lyle Huntsinger
Lyle Huntsinger

Obituary of Lyle D. Huntsinger

My Husband and children’s Father, Lyle Darrel Huntsinger went to be with the Lord this August, 2020. To say he was a devoted, loving husband, father, grandfather and Great grandfather is the understatement of the century. His unwavering devotion to his family was out of this world.  He did everything for his family every day, every decision, every action, everything was done for us, to him we were the whole world. My Husband, the love of my life and I were  married for nearly 64 years.  The kids say He loved me more than anything, not just in words but in daily actions. He leaves behind myself , he always called me his “betrothed” Rosemary, his 7 children; Cindy, Susan, Lisa, Jeffrey, Jana, Steven and Stacy, their spouses, his 15 grandchildren Jason, Heather, Caitlin, Kelsey, Ashley, Maxwell, Noah, Zachary, Zoe, Abigail, Caden, Emma, Katie, Anastacia and Gabriel and his 8 Great grandchildren Jackson, Jameson, Grayson, Harrison, Anderson, Luxy, Aceton and Emmett.  The hole he left in all of our hearts is immense and cannot be filled. We all collectively feel as though he was more than just a man, compassionate, loving, kind, giving, devoted, dedicated, none of these words can come close to describing him. It makes us happy to know this to be true and anyone who knew him would agree with this statement.  He will be so deeply missed. Here are a few words from our children:

 

Cindy: There is not enough time or space for me to say all that is in my heart right now.  But I want you to know that My Dad was the kind of man who had a best friend (we called him Uncle Bob), for almost his entire life, more than 80 years.  They met in 2nd grade and graduated from High School together.  Dad met Mom at Uncle Bob’s wedding.  They raised their families in different states, with different careers but still never lost touch.  They brought us all together for big family vacations…with 13 children between them.  I don’t ever recall him, (or Uncle Bob for that matter), losing patience with the noise, the laughter, the silliness, the bickering, the utter chaos and calamity that bringing us all together meant.  For Dad, that early connection with Uncle Bob, then later with Mom and all of us, was what kept him going.

Commitment, reliability, constancy, his relentless love that meant 64 years of marriage with Mom and 80 years of friendship with Uncle Bob are some of the many wonderful things that define my Dad. That’s the kind of man he was.  He touched many lives living his ordinary life, but he left indelible marks on the souls of those he touched.  We are struck by the many, many loving memories people have shared with us since his passing. 

My dear friend told me, “Sometimes there is a light that is so unique and so very rare that it shines brightly into eternity.  Your Dad’s light will always be with you, shining as brightly as his smile.”  All of us have Dad’s light in our hearts and we know we can count on it, and it will never be extinguished.

 

Susan: My dad was the best Dad, no one can replace him.

 

Lisa: My dad was the best guy ever! He could certainly be used as an example for young men wanting to know how to be a good father. Having 7 kids, 5 of which were daughters, he taught us girls what to want in a husband, but more importantly what not to tolerate in a partner.  He loved my mother so deeply, and she is heartbroken with his loss. 

My 3 sons we're lucky enough to know their grandfather, more commonly referred to as Pops by his oldest grandson, my only regret is that my first and only grandson won't be able to know who his great-grandpa was. I will miss him every day. 

 

Jeff: My dad was a kind Gentle soul who lived his life the same way he passed, with dignity and grace.

 

Jana: 

Dad...I never felt so much love for anyone, ever.  I used to joke I was his favorite, I probably was, but he was definitely mine. I miss him every day.  Dad left us on a full moon.  With everything he gave us, unconditional love, humor, kindness, decency & a work hard ethic, he’s now given us the night sky.  So grateful. I’m forever broken hearted at his passing. My world will not be the same without him in it. Dad was a winker & hand holder, kept holding your hand even after the Our Father was over & everyone else had dropped hands. I kills me that I will never see his smiling eyes wink at me or hold his hand again I’m gonna have to hold my mamas that much tighter. 

I love you Dad-a

 

Steven: My Dad, Lyle Darrel Huntsinger was Husband, Father, Grand and Great grandfather. He was a humble, honest, kind, hardworking man who loved his family with all he had... He was a veteran of the Korean war, a 14 year First Responder as a Fireman in Milwaukee, Wi.  He painted houses on his off days going above and beyond, epitomizing roll up your sleeves, hard work to provide for his growing family of 7 children, Cynthia, Susan, Lisa, Jeffrey, Jana, Steven and Stacy.

In 1973 Dad and Mom bought a Dairy Queen and moved the family to Tucson Az. Where he spent the rest of his 89 Wonderful years with us...Selling ice cream in the desert... Did I mention, my Dad was a very smart man as well.  He was a DAMN good ping pong player, a ringer, tossing horseshoes, and a lifetime 180's average bowler. He bowled in leagues with my mother and their good friends Dan and Wendy Scott in the late 70's into the 80's. My Dad was a genuine Man's Man, He loved camping and fishing. Whether it was at a lake in Wisconsin in the early years, or the White Mountains of Arizona, or Roosevelt Lake in the summers, where all us kids would be allowed to bring a friend or two.  Dad didn't mind being they're dad for all those 4 day weekends.. He taught me to fish and it is today my greatest love and passion... Dad passed that love and along with so many other positive life lessons onto us...  I will miss his smile, his laughter and silly sense of humor, his love and devotion to his family... We Love you Dad... Your shining life force will forever be missed…

 

Stacy: My dad was funny, loving, kind, smart and devoted.  Devoted doesn't seem like a big enough of a word to describe my dad.  To him, his family was everything.  This crazy big family that he and my mother started over 60 years ago with 7 children, 15 grandchildren and 8 Great grandchildren.  Fittingly the little ones just called him “Great” and there is just no better name for him. He loved us all so much. But my dad really loved our mother, like the love you read about in storybooks, but this wasn't fiction.  I remember once my dad saying that when he heard my mother sing, it just made everything better.  It was that love that he showed for my mother and his family that taught us all so much about life, like to have a good friend you needed to be one first, and to find that perfect mate you needed to be one in return, maybe for me most importantly that to be a good parent didn’t mean letting your kids walk all over you, you sometimes have to be firm but your kids will respect you for it.  Being the last of 7 kids I also never questioned if my dad loved me.  He made us all feel special in some way. My Dad had 5 girls. When I would call the house, and even though we all sound alike, he knew who he was talking to. I’d say, “Hi Dad, it's your favorite daughter”, to which every time he’d reply, “Oh hi Cindy”, and I'd say “no dad, It's your favorite daughter”, and he would  say, “oh how embarrassing, It must be Jana”, this would continue through all my sisters names till he got to me. He was playful and fun and now his April Fools jokes will just go down as legend.  He loved us hard, with all he had and thank goodness that won’t ever leave us.

 

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Sunday
30
August

Memorial/Remembrance

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Sunday, August 30, 2020
Frog-n-Firken
874 East University Blvd.
Tucson, Arizona, United States
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