David R. Schichtle, Sr.

David R. Schichtle, Sr., a devoted husband, father, coach, mentor, and retired officer of the United States Air Force, passed away on August 24, 2026. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on December 30, 1942, to Casper Sr. and Rosemary Schichtle, David lived a life marked by service, achievement, friendship, and devotion to those he loved. He made his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for 43 years, where he built a lifetime of cherished memories and lasting relationships.

David's roots were firmly planted in Kansas, where he attended Field Kindley Memorial High School in Coffeyville. He graduated in 1961 and earned all-state honors in both football and basketball. Although accomplished in both sports, David loved baseball even more and earned numerous honors playing it throughout his teenage years. Athletics were something of a family tradition: his two older brothers preceded him in all three sports and earned many honors of their own. In October 2012, David was inducted into the Field Kindley Memorial High School Sports Hall of Fame, an honor his older brother Henry had received before him.

David accepted a basketball scholarship to the University of Kansas in 1961. His years in Lawrence became an important part of his development and remained meaningful to him throughout his life. He pledged Sigma Nu fraternity and later co-captained the 1965 KU basketball team with teammate George Unseld of Louisville, Kentucky.

Following graduation in 1965 and graduate school in 1966, David joined the U.S. Air Force and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1967. He served overseas in Korea and Vietnam and stateside in Virginia, California, Texas, Michigan, and Colorado. During his Air Force career, his military decorations included the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, two Air Force Achievement Medals, Vietnam Service Medal with four bronze service stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm.

Vietnam also changed David's life in a very different way: it was there that he met Wendy (Nguyet Thi Nguyen), who would become his wife and lifelong companion. They married in Dayton, Ohio, beginning a life together that would span more than five decades, military assignments, careers, parenthood, and 43 years in Colorado Springs. Their son, David Jr., was born in 1978. Through all the chapters of David's life, Wendy remained his constant companion, and the bond they shared endured to his final days.

David also took great pride in his son's accomplishments. David Jr. followed his father's path of Air Force service, graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy and later serving as an attorney in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps. Like his father, he attained the rank of lieutenant colonel.

One of David's most memorable experiences came during his teaching and coaching assignment at the U.S. Air Force Academy from 1975 to 1979. Athletic Director Colonel John Clune selected him to coach the Academy's first women's basketball team. His second- and third-year teams won conference championships, with the latter advancing to the 1979 National AIAW Women's Basketball Championship in Fargo, North Dakota. Following the tournament, David was nominated as one of 16 finalists for National Coach of the Year.

David took great pride in the women he coached and in the relationships that endured long after their years together at the Academy. Among his players was Michelle Johnson, to whom David had the honor of presenting the GTE Academic All-American Award and whom he later saw return to the Academy as a lieutenant general and Superintendent. The bonds David formed through basketball continued throughout his life, and his family is especially grateful for the friendship, kindness, and support shown by his former players during his final months.

David served 22 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel. Following his retirement from military service in 1988, he began a second career as Regional Director of Human Resources for the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) in Colorado Springs.

David loved his career with USAA and earned his Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification. He especially valued the opportunity to lead and mentor others and came to regard many of his colleagues as close friends and extensions of his family. In 1994, he served as President of the Society for Human Resource Management in Colorado Springs, during which time the chapter received the prestigious Pinnacle Award. Grateful for his years with an organization he held in high regard, David retired from USAA in May 1998.

Throughout his life, David remained grateful to the institutions that helped shape him. He bequeathed monetary support to four that held particular meaning for him: Holy Name Catholic Grade School in Coffeyville, where he served as an altar boy; Field Kindley Memorial High School; the University of Kansas Letterwinners Club; and Sigma Nu Fraternity. Through these gifts, he wished to express his appreciation for the skills, knowledge, experiences, and opportunities these institutions had given him.

David is survived by his wife, Wendy T. Schichtle; his son, David R. Schichtle Jr.; and his older brother, Henry E. Schichtle of Augusta, Kansas. His older brother, Casper J. Schichtle, and Casper's wife, Linda, preceded him in death.

David's life took him from Oklahoma and Kansas to the University of Kansas, across the world in service to his country, to a basketball court at the Air Force Academy, and into a second career devoted to leading and mentoring others. Along the way, he formed friendships and relationships that endured across decades. At the center of that life was the family he built with Wendy, his companion for more than five decades. He will be deeply missed by those who knew, loved, served, worked, and shared life with him.

The family will greet friends on Friday, October 9th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 306 North Cline Road in Coffeyville.

Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. with Father Drew Dellasega officiating. Inurnment will follow at Restlawn Memorial Park Columbarium with Military Honors conducted by McConnell Air Force Base Honor Guard.

We invite you to share your memories of David, celebrate his remarkable life, and support one another in this time of loss. Please upload photos, share stories, or leave condolences on David's memorial page at www.dwbfh.com.