June 16, 2017 at 5:34 p.m.
Focused on the family
Long-distance proposal led to fulfilling life
Focused on the family
As Jay County Hospital Board prepares to make one of the biggest decisions in its history, it’s Dave Littler who is running the meetings.
The 65-year-old Dunkirk native’s community service has focused on his contributions to the hospital. He’s served on the board for more than a decade and as its president for five years.
But, without some prodding, he doesn’t say much about those efforts, or his business career, or his military service.
When he talks about himself, it’s mostly the way he talks about his family that stands out.
When he was working as a second-generation owner at his family business, he made it a point to be home for dinner. He may have gone back to work at some point in the evening, but meals with his wife and three children were most important.
He boasts about the accomplishments of his daughters Amy and Emily, and son Andy. And don’t get him started on his grandchildren.
All of this talk begs a question.
How long did you date your wife before you got married, Dave?
He holds up two fingers.
Two years?
Nope, he shakes his head from side-to-side.
Two weeks.
••••••••••
Dave grew up in Dunkirk, the eldest of Frank and Julia Littler’s three sons.
He recalls beginning his work life at age 12 for local farmer Everett Nuckles. He mowed, raked hay, cultivated crops and fed livestock north of Dunkirk in Blackford County.
During the winters, he plowed snow and cut wood.
He also worked at Littler Diecast, the family business his father and uncle started in Albany.
After graduating from Dunkirk High School in 1965 — he was honored with the distinguished alumni award at his 50th reunion in 2015 — Dave started going to college at Ball State University. But events of the world got in the way.
“Things were getting kind of hot and heavy in Vietnam,” Dave said, “so I joined the army in 1966.”
He began his time in the military at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he learned all he could about helicopters. Then he was sent to South Vietnam.
At the height of the war — 40,042 of the 58,220 deaths in the conflict occurred from 1967 to ’69 — Dave was initially assigned to inspections in a hangar.
“The helicopter didn’t fly until I said it was fit to fly,” he said.
Eventually, he shifted to a flight crew for a recovery helicopter, serving as both its crew chief and tech inspector. If another helicopter went down, he was part of a team sent to repair or retrieve it.
“It was my job to decide whether to fix it and fly it out, to get another helicopter to hook it out or to destroy it,” said Dave, who flew about 1,200 hours. “I can say I never destroyed one.”
He spent a year in Vietnam before being transferred to Germany, where he served the remainder of his three-year military stint.
••••••••••
Dave Littler met Jani Ramsey during the summer of 1968.
They began dating.
But two weeks later, the young soldier had to head back to Germany.
Jani made plans to visit in December. Then, she got a letter.
When she read it, she was shocked.
When she got over that feeling, she was thrilled.
Dave had asked her to marry him during that December visit.
“There was no doubt in my mind,” Jani said, thinking back across the years.
She was then left to tell her mother and his parents of the engagement.
“That’s probably one of the most burdensome things you could ever do,” said Dave, “leave it up to your soon-to-be wife to break the news to both her mother and my parents that we were going to get married.
“It was quite a proposal.”
••••••••••
Following Dave’s service, he and Jani moved back to Dunkirk and got to the business of starting their life together.
They had their three children. He worked at Littler Diecast, which he, his brother and cousins bought from the first generation in 1977.
As long as he wasn’t traveling — he’s been all over the United States as well as Mexico, Japan and Europe for work — he made a point to be home for the evening meal.
“I think family is important,” Dave said. “I was gone enough that I didn’t want them to forget who I was.”
Most of his time at Littler Diecast was as plant manager. He also worked in a support position in the engineering department and as an aide in sales.
He served as an officer on boards for the Society of Diecasting Engineers and was president of the state organization. His service continued after the group merged with North American Diecasting Association in 1989, and in 1995 he was the committee chairman for the international show committee.
That involved helping put together a show that included American, European and Asia manufacturers with equipment as heavy as 800 tons on display.
••••••••••
Not surprisingly, working on projects for his family has been one of Dave’s pursuits since his retirement from Littler Diecast in 2010.
“I immediately started remodeling my daughter’s lake house,” he said.
That involved putting new siding on both the house and the garage on Lake Loralei, about 40 miles east of Cincinnati. He also ran electricity to both the garage and pier.
Such projects have long been a hobby.
Dave helped build his own house in Lutes Woods with his brother-in-law Milo Miller Jr., a local contractor. About three years ago, he did more work, remodeling his kitchen — new cabinets and countertops and removal of a wall — with Milo’s son.
And while he’s been presented with other opportunities, he’s kept his efforts in community service focused on Jay County Hospital. He the board president in what have become increasingly difficult times. For more than a year now, the hospital has struggled with finances as revenues have in most cases flat-lined or fallen while costs continue to rise.
Dave now finds himself not only as the board’s leader, but also as part of a steering committee tasked with deciding whether the hospital should remain independent, partner with another organization or sell.
“He’s provided guidance and direction, but on the other hand he hasn’t stepped in and tried to determine control or dictate what approach the budget and finance committee takes or the board takes,” said fellow board member Bill Hinkle. “While he has been kind of a guiding hand, he lets the board discuss and make the decisions that we need to make.”
••••••••••
Dave beams as he talks about his children.
Amy is a pharmacist who owns her own business. Emily is a veterinary technician who now teaches at International Business College in Fort Wayne. Andy is a truck driver.
He pulls out his phone to show off photos of he and Jani with their grandchildren at high school graduations.
They’ve had a great life together, he says.
That begs another question.
What was it, Dave, that made you want to marry this girl you had dated for just a couple of weeks?
“I think our backgrounds were similar — her parents, my parents, our lives were similar,” he said. “There was a lot of commonality with our lives.”
And you, Jani, what made you so sure you wanted to accept a proposal from this guy stationed an ocean away?
“It was his personality,” she said. “And I met his family and just absolutely loved them. And my mother and his mom and dad were really close. We had so much in common. And so, I don’t know, it was a given.”
They were both sure when they got married Dec. 31, 1968, in Germany.
More than 48 years later, they still are.
The 65-year-old Dunkirk native’s community service has focused on his contributions to the hospital. He’s served on the board for more than a decade and as its president for five years.
But, without some prodding, he doesn’t say much about those efforts, or his business career, or his military service.
When he talks about himself, it’s mostly the way he talks about his family that stands out.
When he was working as a second-generation owner at his family business, he made it a point to be home for dinner. He may have gone back to work at some point in the evening, but meals with his wife and three children were most important.
He boasts about the accomplishments of his daughters Amy and Emily, and son Andy. And don’t get him started on his grandchildren.
All of this talk begs a question.
How long did you date your wife before you got married, Dave?
He holds up two fingers.
Two years?
Nope, he shakes his head from side-to-side.
Two weeks.
••••••••••
Dave grew up in Dunkirk, the eldest of Frank and Julia Littler’s three sons.
He recalls beginning his work life at age 12 for local farmer Everett Nuckles. He mowed, raked hay, cultivated crops and fed livestock north of Dunkirk in Blackford County.
During the winters, he plowed snow and cut wood.
He also worked at Littler Diecast, the family business his father and uncle started in Albany.
After graduating from Dunkirk High School in 1965 — he was honored with the distinguished alumni award at his 50th reunion in 2015 — Dave started going to college at Ball State University. But events of the world got in the way.
“Things were getting kind of hot and heavy in Vietnam,” Dave said, “so I joined the army in 1966.”
He began his time in the military at Fort Rucker, Alabama, where he learned all he could about helicopters. Then he was sent to South Vietnam.
At the height of the war — 40,042 of the 58,220 deaths in the conflict occurred from 1967 to ’69 — Dave was initially assigned to inspections in a hangar.
“The helicopter didn’t fly until I said it was fit to fly,” he said.
Eventually, he shifted to a flight crew for a recovery helicopter, serving as both its crew chief and tech inspector. If another helicopter went down, he was part of a team sent to repair or retrieve it.
“It was my job to decide whether to fix it and fly it out, to get another helicopter to hook it out or to destroy it,” said Dave, who flew about 1,200 hours. “I can say I never destroyed one.”
He spent a year in Vietnam before being transferred to Germany, where he served the remainder of his three-year military stint.
••••••••••
Dave Littler met Jani Ramsey during the summer of 1968.
They began dating.
But two weeks later, the young soldier had to head back to Germany.
Jani made plans to visit in December. Then, she got a letter.
When she read it, she was shocked.
When she got over that feeling, she was thrilled.
Dave had asked her to marry him during that December visit.
“There was no doubt in my mind,” Jani said, thinking back across the years.
She was then left to tell her mother and his parents of the engagement.
“That’s probably one of the most burdensome things you could ever do,” said Dave, “leave it up to your soon-to-be wife to break the news to both her mother and my parents that we were going to get married.
“It was quite a proposal.”
••••••••••
Following Dave’s service, he and Jani moved back to Dunkirk and got to the business of starting their life together.
They had their three children. He worked at Littler Diecast, which he, his brother and cousins bought from the first generation in 1977.
As long as he wasn’t traveling — he’s been all over the United States as well as Mexico, Japan and Europe for work — he made a point to be home for the evening meal.
“I think family is important,” Dave said. “I was gone enough that I didn’t want them to forget who I was.”
Most of his time at Littler Diecast was as plant manager. He also worked in a support position in the engineering department and as an aide in sales.
He served as an officer on boards for the Society of Diecasting Engineers and was president of the state organization. His service continued after the group merged with North American Diecasting Association in 1989, and in 1995 he was the committee chairman for the international show committee.
That involved helping put together a show that included American, European and Asia manufacturers with equipment as heavy as 800 tons on display.
••••••••••
Not surprisingly, working on projects for his family has been one of Dave’s pursuits since his retirement from Littler Diecast in 2010.
“I immediately started remodeling my daughter’s lake house,” he said.
That involved putting new siding on both the house and the garage on Lake Loralei, about 40 miles east of Cincinnati. He also ran electricity to both the garage and pier.
Such projects have long been a hobby.
Dave helped build his own house in Lutes Woods with his brother-in-law Milo Miller Jr., a local contractor. About three years ago, he did more work, remodeling his kitchen — new cabinets and countertops and removal of a wall — with Milo’s son.
And while he’s been presented with other opportunities, he’s kept his efforts in community service focused on Jay County Hospital. He the board president in what have become increasingly difficult times. For more than a year now, the hospital has struggled with finances as revenues have in most cases flat-lined or fallen while costs continue to rise.
Dave now finds himself not only as the board’s leader, but also as part of a steering committee tasked with deciding whether the hospital should remain independent, partner with another organization or sell.
“He’s provided guidance and direction, but on the other hand he hasn’t stepped in and tried to determine control or dictate what approach the budget and finance committee takes or the board takes,” said fellow board member Bill Hinkle. “While he has been kind of a guiding hand, he lets the board discuss and make the decisions that we need to make.”
••••••••••
Dave beams as he talks about his children.
Amy is a pharmacist who owns her own business. Emily is a veterinary technician who now teaches at International Business College in Fort Wayne. Andy is a truck driver.
He pulls out his phone to show off photos of he and Jani with their grandchildren at high school graduations.
They’ve had a great life together, he says.
That begs another question.
What was it, Dave, that made you want to marry this girl you had dated for just a couple of weeks?
“I think our backgrounds were similar — her parents, my parents, our lives were similar,” he said. “There was a lot of commonality with our lives.”
And you, Jani, what made you so sure you wanted to accept a proposal from this guy stationed an ocean away?
“It was his personality,” she said. “And I met his family and just absolutely loved them. And my mother and his mom and dad were really close. We had so much in common. And so, I don’t know, it was a given.”
They were both sure when they got married Dec. 31, 1968, in Germany.
More than 48 years later, they still are.
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