David M. Symans, 85, of Dunkirk, NY, passed away at his home on Thursday, January 25, 2024. He was born in Dunkirk and was a member of the Dunkirk High School Class of 1956. He served for six years in the U.S. Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB), better known as the Navy SeaBees, where he contributed to construction projects in Spain and Puerto Rico. Upon returning home, David got married, started a family, and worked as a heavy equipment operator for the business that his father created, Symans Excavating Corporation, and later became the president of the company. To sharpen his business skills, he took courses at the State University of New York at Fredonia. David spent the latter half of his career as an owner-operator long-haul truck driver, with his longest trip being from New York to California. In his leisure time, he enjoyed building intricately detailed model airplanes, trading stocks, computer gaming and watching movies from his vast movie collection. In addition, during his entire lifetime he was a voracious reader, enjoying books from multiple genres.

David is preceded in death by his parents, Francis and Catherine (Rodgers) Symans, his brothers Charles (Florence) Symans and Francis (Marilyn) Symans, and his former spouse, Frances (Messina) Raynor. David is survived by his brother James Symans of Tucson, AZ, his sister Catherine (Paul) Symans of South Burlington, VT, his daughters Julie (Gary) Jeleniewski of Grayslake, IL and Brenda Symans of Dunkirk, and his son Michael (Sarah) Symans of Clifton Park, NY. In addition, he is survived by nine grandchildren (Grace, Noah, Jonah, and Jane Jeleniewski; Tannen Olson and Michelle Borrello; Megan, Emily and Andrew Symans), three great-grandchildren (Matteo, Dontae and Giovanni Chimera), three nieces (Cheryl Symans, Debra (Bryan) Schwecke, and Susan (Larry) McDowell), three nephews (Scott (Wendy) Symans, James Symans, and William Symans), as well as several great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for David on Saturday, March 2, at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 1032 Central Ave, in Dunkirk, NY. For those not able to attend in person, the Mass will be live-streamed on David's site on the Larson-Timko Funeral Home website: larsontimkofuneralhome.com. David was an anatomical gift donor to the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the UB Foundation in support of the Anatomical Gift Program. Online condolences may be offered at larsontimkofuneralhome.com. Arrangements by David J. Dengler, LARSON-TIMKO Funeral Home.