David Linus Laake
Age 77
Born 3/14/1946
Died 3/5/2024
Dave was born in Ferdinand, IN to Emil Laake and Amelia Ebert Laake. He graduated in the St. Ferdinand
High School Class of 1964. He then studied at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN where he received a
Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Following, he earned a degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue
University. In 1970, he married Aline Fleck. They raised three daughters and his family and faith became his world.
Choosing to leave the corporate world, he moved his family to Tennessee in 1979 where he started a
printing business. He was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church of Brentwood until moving to
Knoxville in 2023 where he became a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.
He was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Aphasia in 2018. Learning that he would eventually lose his
ability to speak, he found strength in his faith. He passed peacefully at home surrounded by his wife and
girls. Dave is preceded in death by his parents, Emil and Amelia Laake and his younger brother Patrick (Cathy)
Laake. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Aline and their three daughters, Melinda Laake of Mount
Pleasant, SC, Brenda (Randy) Burdette of Tallahassee, FL and Amanda (James) Calloway of Knoxville, TN.
He is also survived by his five grandchildren, Jake and Ben Burdette; Caroline, Matthew and Andrew
Calloway; and brother Dennis (Kathy) Laake, and sisters Bernita (Harvey) Berger, and Eileen (Harold)
Wright. Visitation with the family will take place on Saturday, March 16 at 11:00 am ET at Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN with a Funeral Mass at 12:00 noon.
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