David Jonathan Pentimone - Our Little Buddy Man

David Jonathan Pentimone was born in Park City, KS. He was our "Little Buddy Man." He was a joy to be around, and he was always everyone's friend. He liked the outdoors and could often be found chasing rabbits around the yard. Sometimes, he even caught them! David was just a fun little guy. For several years, he wore his rubber rain boots all day long. This way he could play in the yard or in the creek that went behind our yard without having to give it a single thought. He liked to climb and play and laugh. David had a favorite pair of pants that he wore as a young boy. He called them his "slippy down strong pants." The "slippy down" part came from the fact that they were a little too large in the waist. We weren't exactly sure where the "strong" part came from. One day when we told David that he was going to get a spanking, he started to smile. We asked him why he was smiling. He replied that he didn't mind getting a spanking because he had his "strong" pants on. We quickly learned that he liked those pants so much because he couldn't feel a spanking through them. Who cares if a pair of pants slips down a little too much if you have the protection you need when the spanking comes! We have laughed about those "slippy down strong pants" for years.

David was our adventurous one. He liked to climb trees and play outside. When as a young man he bought his own zero-turn mower, he really liked to cut the grass! David also gained an interest in woodworking. He would spend time with Wes, a neighbor who had a garage full of tools. David worked with Wes on various projects and learned a lot from him. Eventually David purchased his own tools and made his own beautiful wood projects. His biggest interest was chess sets. He would take a theme and make the set around the theme. He actually made a Roman themed chess set and gave it to Dr. and Mrs. Leininger, the founders of the Bible Bee.

God was gracious to David through the years with his health. David was a rambunctious little guy, and he had more bumps, bruises and scrapes than all our other children put together. When David was in his teen years, Heather went for a walk and a few children went along for a bike ride. We always expected our children to wear a helmet when they rode their bike. David was in the middle of something and was planning to join the ride a few minutes later. In his rush to catch up with everyone, he forgot to put on his helmet.  Shortly after catching up to the rest of the family, his bike hit the curb, and he took a serious fall. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital, and it was discovered he had some bleeding on his brain. The doctors thought he might have had a seizure. Thankfully Daniel (our resident nurse) saw what happened and knew that it didn't fit the definition of a seizure.  Thankfully, David made a full recovery. God is so gracious!

David also professed faith during his teenage years. David and I were reading through Proverbs one month together. We had good discussions about truth during those talks. God used the Word David had been learning in church, homeschool, Bible time, and our discussions together.  I had the privilege of baptizing him as well.

David was very diligent in the Bible and qualified for the National Bible Bee for 9 years in a row. In 2011, his first year in the Bible Bee as a 10-year-old, he tied for first in the nation on his summer qualifying test. He --won 4th in the nation in the Primary Division (ages 7-10). He worked hard the remaining years and even made semi-finals in the Senior Division his last year. In addition, David was chosen to compete in both of the Bible Bee Game Shows. He tied for 4th the first year, and he won the Junior Division in his second year. The competition in San Antonio for the 2nd Game Show was intense! I remember spending hours figuring out matching words for all the versions and then David had to learn them. We spent many long hours working together. It was a close competition. In the end, David was fast on the buzzers, and he knew his material well. He walked away with the $50,000 first place prize. During the event, when asked about his hero, David said that his Dad was his hero and that he wanted to grow up to be like his Dad. Those were wonderful words for a father to hear.

We hope that David would also be able to purchase a home debt-free before he was married. As a REALTOR, I worked with the neighbors, and David was able to purchase Wes's house with his winnings. The man who helped him with his woodworking had to go to a nursing home and was selling his house. David sold that house a few years later for a handsome profit and has since purchased another home in Kansas City.

Heather and David worked together on many projects. David helped Heather during many of our house flips. When David purchased his house, Heather helped him put new siding on his detached garage and then paint it. Heather has many fond memories of working with David. They both shared the interest of working with their hands and with tools. Heather always had a special nickname for David even from when he was a little child, "My Friend."

David works for Amazon. With the solid work ethic he was taught growing up, he has advanced quickly up the ranks at Amazon. He seems to be doing well at Amazon and enjoying his job. We love David greatly and miss seeing and talking with him, and Heather particularly misses her friend. We pray for him daily and trusting the Lord for restoration.