David Robert Ledvina

David Robert Ledvina, 86, of Sun City passed away on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. Dave was born March 20, 1932 in Cleveland, OH to George C. and Helen (Sedlak) Ledvina, raised in suburban Parma and attended St. Charles Elementary and St. Ignatius and Parma Schaaf High Schools where he played football, basketball and baseball. He attended Bowling Green State University where he played baseball until a severe arm injury his sophomore year. Dave graduated from Arizona State University in 1954 with a BS degree in Economics and Business Management. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. After graduation he was inducted into the Army serving in Ft. Gordon, GA and Heilbronn, Germany. While at Ft. Gordon he married his high school sweetheart, Ruth Bejcek, who joined him in Germany where they enjoyed trips to Paris, Switzerland, Italy and the Bavarian Alps.

In 1956 Dave was employed by US Steel at the Cuyahoga Works plant in Cleveland as an Industrial Engineer, later becoming Production Control Engineer coordinating operations of a computer based system for inventory control and hot mill scheduling. In 1963, interested in improving his knowledge of computer technology, he accepted a position of Computer Systems Analyst with American Greetings at corporate headquarters in Cleveland and designed an order for fulfillment system for retail accounts. After progressing through several management positions he was promoted to Assistant Vice President-Computer Systems and in 1979 became Vice President of the Information Systems Division responsible for software development, computer operations, telecommunications and computer hardware for the corporate data center and distribution and manufacturing facilities in Arkansas and Kentucky. Prior to retirement he was the corporate officer responsible for information technology consulting for domestic and foreign subsidiaries.

Dave retired in 1997 and enjoyed attending his grandchildren’s school and sports activities, playing golf as a 26 year member of Columbia Hills Country Club and wintering in Naples, FL. He was on the vestry at All Saints (Parma) and St. Thomas (Berea) Episcopal Churches and was a lay reader for over 30 years. In 2005 Ruthie and Dave relocated to Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton, SC to enjoy the many amenities provided by the community, climate and beauty of the South Carolina Lowcountry and an extended golfing season. He was a member of two large men’s golf groups who played over 20 courses in the Lowcountry and Savannah, GA. Dave was a member of The Church of the Cross in Old Town Bluffton and participated in the Military Support and Food Bank groups.

Dave is remembered for his love and commitment to Ruthie, his wife and life-partner, whom he met when they were sixteen years old, consideration and care for family, intellectual curiosity, quick wit and enjoyment from making friends and strangers smile.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Ruthie; daughters, Deb Kulchar and Sue Ledvina (Larry Beiner) of Sun City; brother, Don (Therese) of North Port, FL; brother-in-law, Allan Goodfellow of Avon Lake, OH; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Sauls Funeral Home of Bluffton is assisting the family with a private funeral service.

Donations in lieu of flowers in Dave’s name may be made to The Hospice Care of the Lowcountry, P.O. Box 3827, Bluffton, SC 29910; Church of the Cross, P.O. Box 278, Bluffton, SC 29910; or the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.

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