David Owen Warner

David Owen Warner, of Winona Lake, passed away on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, in the care of Grace Village Retirement Community, Winona Lake, at the age of 87.
David was born on Nov. 12, 1938, in Rochester, to Josephine Gordon Warner and Harry Owen Warner. He married Carol Diane Brown Warner on July 28, 1962, and they celebrated 62 years of marriage together before she passed away April 24, 2025.
After graduating from Rochester High School, he worked at Bendix Corporation in South Bend and also operated earth-moving equipment in the construction of I-465 around Indianapolis. He served in the U.S. Army at Fort Sheridan, Ill., from 1962 until 1964. He claimed he had the most important job in the Army, that of preparing payroll vouchers. In 1965 Dave and Carol moved to Warsaw where he began a career at Zimmer, in payroll, accounting and inventory auditing. He retired at the end of 1993.
An active member of Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church since 1965, Dave was loved and respected by his church family. As a gifted handy man, he especially enjoyed caring for the church facilities. In previous years, he also served as an elder and taught children’s Sunday school. For many years he was a member of the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club.
Dave especially enjoyed spending time with family and friends. He could often be found camping, canoeing and boating. He was well known for his waterskiing abilities and was an especially patient teacher to anyone who wanted to learn to waterski. He enjoyed a lifelong hobby of gardening and farming, and would say that, if he ever came into money he would farm until the money was gone.
In retirement David and Carol enjoyed traveling all over the USA, often visiting national parks as well as family and friends. They combined much of their traveling by volunteering 14 winters with NOMADS, a disaster relief mission, and several winters volunteering with ECHO, a global agricultural education and support mission.
He will be lovingly remembered by his two sons, Mark (Melissa) Warner, Warsaw; Greg (Gail) Warner, Malaga, Spain. Also surviving are three grandchildren: Jonathan (Alexis) Warner, Kendallville; Caleb (Sarah) Warner, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Daniel Warner, Warsaw; and two great-grandchildren, Lane and Louis Warner. Also surviving is his brother, Robert (Carol) Warner, Noblesville. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and his sister, Ellen Jones.
David’s life will be celebrated with a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 25 at Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 210 S. High St., Warsaw, and officiated by Pastor Aaron Klein. Friends and family may visit an hour prior to the service from 10 to 11 a.m. A private graveside service will be held at Rochester I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Rochester. Arrangements were entrusted to Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, 225 Argonne Road, Warsaw.
Memorial donations in David’s memory may be directed to Warsaw Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 210 S. High Street, Warsaw, IN 46580; or to ECHO, 17391 Durrance Road, North Fort Myers, FL 33917, or give online at echonet.org.
Online condolences may be sent through the funeral home’s website at www.redpathfruthfuneralhome.com