David Gary Maibach Obituary
On Thursday, October 17, 2024, David Gary Maibach passed into eternity having lived a blessed life. David was born on March 20, 1974 to Gary and MaryAnn (Graf) Maibach. He was raised in a strong nuclear family and was privileged to know both love and the gospel from an early age. Being the third of four children, David was invisible for much of his childhood except for periodic witticisms added to the family conversation.
In August of 1990 David was born again and became an adopted child of God, the title he held most dear and which became increasingly precious as he grew in the understanding of who he was and who God is. All that was good in David’s life stemmed directly from his relationship with his Heavenly Father.
When David met Larisa in the Fall of 1993, it was love at first sight. For him. Larisa took a bit longer to convince, but they were married on the first day of 1995. Miraculously, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, being a husband was something that he quickly grew into and that he came to adore. David was fond of asserting: “I’m not saying we have the best marriage. I just don’t know of any better!”
David became a father in the same way he became a child of God: through the miracle of adoption. In 2009 and again in 2012 the Holy Spirit directed David and Larisa to double their family and bring home two sons from Ethiopia. David learned many lessons about God’s love while raising his sons and was blessed by every stage of the journey. It is also accurate to observe that, even to the very end, he took great delight in making the boys cringe with his terrible dad jokes and his clothing choices.
David loved good coffee and good food. He loved big breakfasts and Autumn and wearing cozy, plaid flannels. He loved time with his family, especially during the holidays. As long as he was able to do so, David made sure that his family took vacations together; he especially loved the beach and the Maibach cottage in Michigan. Fundamentally a sedentary introvert, David’s only hobbies were to study scripture and love on his family.
David struggled with chronic illness for his entire adult life. He would not trade the lessons he learned for another minute on Earth. Through countless bouts with death, David was invariably able to rest both in the comfort that he was joined by his Savior Jesus through the fellowship of suffering and in the surety that, if worse came to worst, the two would be meeting shortly. Rejoice that they are finally together.
Surviving is the love of his life, Larisa, and his two beloved sons, Yikealo and Sintayehu Maibach of Rittman; mother MaryAnn of Rittman, sister Karen (Jim) Widmer of Sterling; two brothers Mark (Julie) Maibach of Leo, IN and James (Susan) Maibach of Sterling; as well as numerous in-laws, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
David was preceded in death by his father Gary, but more importantly, both of them were preceded in death and in resurrection by their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Services will be held Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at the Smithville Apostolic Christian Church, 8530 Fulton Rd., Sterling with Ministers of the Church officiating. Burial will follow at the Apostolic Cemetery.
Friends may call Wednesday, October 23, 2024 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Auble-Gillman Funeral Home, 360 W. Sunset Dr., Rittman and from 9:30-10:15 a.m. on Thursday at the church.
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