David Midkiff

Our loving Bro', Partner and Friend passed away unexpectedly on March 11, 2025. Dave was born in Neenah, Wisconsin to loving parents Jacquelyn and Joseph Midkiff. His father was a Mechanical Engineer at Kimberly-Clark Corporation that brought the young family to upstate New York, settling in Tonawanda, a suburb of Buffalo.

Dave attended St. Amelia's grade school and Cardinal O'Hare H.S. in Tonawanda, before the family moved back to Wisconsin where Dave attended Appleton East High school and graduated from UW Madison. After schooling, Dave moved to Northern California where he met his wife, Phyllis. He was employed at Velcon Filters and Nelson industries (now part of Cummins, Inc.) He held technical and managerial positions including filter product and manufacturing process design, as well as, building filtration test equipment and managing a filtration test lab for non-woven air filter media design. Kimberly-Clark Corporation sought out Dave's non-woven expertise and he and his wife Phyllis moved to Alpharetta, Georgia. Dave was employed for 25 years at Kimberly-Clark/Senior Research Scientist and developed a number of patents for Kimberly-Clark. His main focus was development and commercialization of new nonwoven filter media products and production technologies for commercial, industrial and residential HVAC applications. 

Dave's work resulted in vastly increased media market penetration through the invention and commercialization of disruptive technologies for producing electret treated bicomponent spunbonded fibers. Everyone that knew Dave will tell you what a remarkable man he was, he touched many souls with his caring disposition and genuine contributions to those less fortunate.

Dave loved music and had a vast knowledge of many genres of music, this love started in childhood and he was gifted a Hoffner bass from his parents at a very young age. Dave loved jamming with many other musical lovers which brought strong connections and friendships lasting to the very end. Dave enjoyed traveling and had a most memorable trip to ITALY with his father, Joe (WWII Veteran) and his wife, Phyllis. Dave worked toward enhancing his golfing skills on Georgia courses with his good friend, Jeff, an avid golfer. We can't forget to note that Dave was an astute mixologist - his friends can attest that he had his Old-Fashions down to an art! 

Dave was preceded in death by his parents: Jacquelyn and Joseph Midkiff, his wife Phyllis Midkiff and other close friends. 

Dave will be sorely missed by his brother, Michael (Belle) Midkiff of California, his sister, Nancy (Brad) MacArthur of DePere, his partner Sue Metko-Bretl, a sister-in-law Claudia Swett, his nephews Matthew MacArthur, Scott Wagner, Paul Poirer, Kenneth Poirer, Jeffrey Poirer and his nieces Christine MacArthur and Kelcie Midkiff-Rogers and his dear, dear friends. 

In lieu of flowers, Dave would like donations made to Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (his wife Phyllis died of this disease) OR to Covenant House for Homeless Children (National Organization). 

Funeral Services for Dave will be held at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at Appleton Gospel Church, located at 2900 N. Mason Street in Appleton.  Visitation will take place on Monday, March 31, from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM at the Wichmann Funeral Home, located at 537 N. Superior Street and again at the church on Tuesday from 11:00 AM until the time of the service.  He will be placed at rest following the service with his wife, Phyllis, at St. Joseph Cemetery.