David B. Kilmer

David Bruce Kilmer, 47, a life-long Michigan resident, recently died of natural causes in his home in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He was born to Diane Hatcher Kilmer and J. Bruce Kilmer in Lansing, Michigan.

Music was always a joy to David and soothed his soul. He played both classical and electric guitar, as well as drums. He had perfect pitch. He listened to all genres of music, from Beethoven to Frank Zappa to Miles Davis to Benny Goodman, and everything in between. Like many musicians, he marked the seasons of his life by the music he was listening to at the time, and owned an extensive collection of vinyl and CDs. Recently David had been taking guitar lessons from teachers on Zoom to refine his guitar skills and take them to the next level.

David was an accomplished cook. He was known for his quiet kindness and for his empathy with people and animals. He preferred to live in peace, but would stand up for himself or others if needed. He was content with few material possessions. His humor was quietly wry, tongue-in-cheek, mischievous; straight-faced with a slight grin or twinkle in his eye. Although he dealt with serious health issues, David liked to help others with yard work, snow shoveling, and handyman tasks.

A prolific reader and lifelong learner, David enjoyed everything from John Irving, Stieg Larsson  and Stephen King to Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, musicians' biographies and world history.

David grew up playing baseball with his dad and sister Jane and on organized teams. He enjoyed watching professional baseball, college basketball and MMA tournaments. An athlete himself, David ran track in middle school and ran to keep in shape as an adult.

When David was 9, he asked his dad to baptize him at the Christian Church. As an adult, he read the Bible from cover to cover at least three times, and believed in the principle to "Treat others as you want to be treated."

His family was very important to David. He will be deeply missed by his parents, sister Jane Kilmer (Dan Nordheim), niece Adeline Kilmer-Nordheim, Aunts Judy Ide and Jan Hatcher, maternal grandfather N. Gene Hatcher, numerous cousins, extended family members and friends.

Memorial contributions may be sent to: The Morley Lesson Reserve (presented by Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan): Elderly Instruments ATTN Morley Reserve
1100 N. Washington Ave, Lansing MI 48906 or The Strickler Center
https://stricklercenter.org/donate

The family of David Kilmer will receive friends on Wednesday, March 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service beginning at 11:00 a.m.