David Michael Rako, age 60 of Concord and formerly of Willoughby, passed away December 2nd, 2024. He was born February 22nd, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Eugene and Ann Marie Rako.
Our true hero, the most selfless and devoted husband, father, friend, and person.
Dave worked at Philips Health Care as a National Strategic Channel Manager.
Dave was a loving and deeply devoted husband of 23 years to his best friend, Christine Marie Rako (née Augusta); beloved father of Kyle Rako, Kelly (Justin) Moore, Luke and Sophie Rako; cherished grandpa of Reilly Michael and Ralph David Moore; brother of Linda, Joe, Jean, and Christopher; and dear son-in-law of Michael Augusta and the late Judy Augusta.
The Rako family will receive family and friends from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM Sunday, December 8th, 2024 at Jeff Monreal Funeral Home, 1000 Mentor Ave., Painesville. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 AM Monday, December 9th, 2024 at St. John Vianney Church, 7575 Bellflower Rd., Mentor. Burial at Mentor Cemetery. Family will receive guests following the burial, location to be announced.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dave’s name to The American Heart Association www.heart.org or The Home Depot Foundation www.corporate.homedepot.com/page/home-depot-foundation
To leave condolences visit www.JeffMonrealFuneralHome.com
Reader interactions
34 Replies to “David Michael Rako”
Sorry for your loss. Dave was a great guy and I remember sharing plenty of St. Mary’s Mentor football memories with him. I will be praying for you through this tough time.
God Bless
I remember Christine telling me Dave seen her on freeway and got her pull over. God bless. Love you Dave. Thank you for being a great man.
My deepest condolences to Christine and family from Ingrid and Family????????
I remember the first time I met Dave after Sophie moved in with us. I immediately knew we were going to get along so well. From hearing all his jokes, making scenes at the dinner table, and learning all about him, it was a pleasure that I got to know him let alone his family. Even though I only knew Dave for a short amount of time, he was definitely someone I cherished getting to know. I am heartbroken for you guys, but love you guys so much!!!
I have no words for the sadness I feel. I am praying for you in this time of grief. May God give you peace and comfort. My deepest sympathy and condolences.
Dear Christine, I am so very sorry for your loss. My deepest sympathies to you and your children.
Sue Dwyer
I am heartbroken for Christine and the entire Rako family. Holding you all in my thoughts and prayers.
My daughter is in class with Sophie. We are keeping Sophie and your family in our thoughts and prayers. ❤️
My deepest condolences to you and your family. I had the pleasure of working with Dave for several years and getting to know him and become friends. I’m saddened to hear of his passing and will miss him. May God bless you with his strength and peace during this very difficult time.
So sorry for your family’s loss. Dave (and family) was a joy to see when he came in for his dental appointments. Always smiling and boasting about his greatest joys: his kids and grand babies and always talked about how blessed he was to have them- A true family man. He will be greatly missed by many
I am so sorry for your loss. Dave always with a smile. Sending prayers for you and your family.
I was deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Dave. He was my manager and mentor during my early days at the training center. His leadership and kindness left a lasting impact on me and many others. Beyond being a great manager, he was also a good friend.
My most sincere condolences to the family and close friends during this difficult time. My thoughts are with you and everyone who had the privilege of knowing Dave.
My most heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Dave. He was a top guy, always there for a chat and willing to go out of his way to help others.
I will miss his sense of humour, our weekly chats and how every time I called, he’d greet me by saying “G’day mate” in his best Aussie accent.
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To The Rako you have our deepest sympathies on the passing of your beloved Dave. May you continue to look towards the hills that give us our strength. Prayers to you all.
The Alston Family
Yvonne, Darrius ‘17 & Kyla ‘21(Lake Catholic)
I had the pleasure of working with Dave on multiple occasions in his role with Philips. He was recently with our whole SW Team at Boundtree Medical working the booth at the Texas EMS Conference just before Thanksgiving. We are all so sad/shocked to hear of his passing, and we are praying for the whole family during this difficult time.
Dave was such an exceptional person, and I have so many good memories of him over the past few years that we worked together at conferences. He was always smiling, positive, and a huge resource for our customers. To say he was passionate about his work is an understatement. May God rest his soul and wrap his arms around the family as they navigate this difficult time.
Dave will be missed, and he is the type of talent that is not replaceable 🙁
The Home Depot Foundation is such a great fit to honor him! Sending so much love to the entire family.
My deepest condolences to the family????.
I remember, one year Dave was a sponsor for Philips Hiram House project. We had 200 employees helping to rebuild, paint, repair, create maize and clean up efforts at Hiram House. He worked on various projects entire day. He had a passion to give back and help others in need.
May he Rest in Peace ????
My sincerest condolences to the family of Dave. I just spent time with him in Texas at our EMS Conference and he always packed a smile and a great conversation. We shared many of the same views on life and other subjects. He will surely be missed. My prayers are with his family during this time of sorrow and remembrance.
This is incredibly sad news. I hired Dave at Philips about 20 years ago. He always spoke so lovingly of his family and was a great friend and co-worker. He will be missed by so many.
Sophie and family,
We were all heartbroken to hear of this news. May you find comfort in the cherished memories you shared and the love that will forever surround you. You are in our thoughts and prayers during this time of grief.
With sympathy and love,
The Capel Family
Christine, we are very heartbroken for you and the kids and all Dave’s Family.
I am praying for each of you that God gives you strength to overcome this great loss. I’m so very sorry❤️
Dave worked in our Training department some years ago. Always enjoyed his humor. My sympathies to his family in the very difficult time.
Over the years I have enjoyed working with Dave while at Philips and will miss his positivity and friendship. I am so sorry for your loss and will keep you and your family in my prayers.
I had the good luck to work with and be managed by Dave. However we didn’t call him “Dave”, we all called him “Rako” because there were so many “Daves” in the department. We worked hard, but we played hard too. He took his management job seriously and truly helped his employees boost their skills. He also took the time to recognize folks for a job well done. He implemented a Top Gun award complete with a flight jacket. He made you want to do your best and win that jacket. He also could think out of the box. Dave was in charge of training fresh college graduates from all over the world in an intense full-time program which required pairs of students to share an apartment. When one student demanded another roommate Dave came up with a brilliant solution to solve the problem while keeping the complaint anonymous. He required everyone to change roommates. There were some pissed off students but his goal was accomplished. Dave was talented at home as well. He could build or fix just about anything. Dave lost his parents young so family was very important to him. I remember him telling me how he met Christine driving on the freeway, and how she surprised him with a concert to see Bruce Springsteen. Finding Christine was his personal home run but the kids were his personal grand slam. I am so very sorry for your loss. May the time come when you remember Dave that a smile comes to your lips before teardrops run down your cheek. Until then may God give you many hugs to comfort you.
I am saddened to hear of the passing of Dave, I worked with him several years before I took the job he left at the Training Center, he is the one who told me about the opening and recommended me for the position. My deepest condolences to his family in these very trying times. May the Lord comfort you and give you the peace that you need and take Dave to his Glory.
Dave was a fantastic soul and he will be missed dearly by all.
Christine, I am very sorry for your loss. My prayers to you, the children and entire family. I pray for the Lord to wrap his arms around you and give you strength during this time. ????
Christine and family, there are no words for this time of sadness. I am praying that you will heal with time. My heart goes out to all of you.
Christine, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. I’ve worked with Dave on several projects at Philips and enjoyed that time with him.
Dear Christine and family
Chris and I are so sorry for your loss. We haven’t known you very long and you were one of the first people we met when we moved into the Woodlands. My heart goes out to you and your family during this difficult time.
Christine, Chris & I are so sorry to hear of Dave’s passing and send our deepest condolences and prayers to you and your family during this difficult time.
Dear Christine , We are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time .
Dear Family,
We are saddened and heartbroken by this news. David was loved by so many, and he’s left quite the legacy. Always giving and taking little. You all should be proud to call him your dad, brother, husband , son, cousin, uncle or friend. He lived a full life in his short time here, and will be missed terribly by all who knew and loved him!
I really enjoyed working with David to close a HELOC at FFL. We hit it off right away talking about family, politics, and miscellaneous subjects. Every time he came in we ended up talking a long time.
David was extremely proud of his family. He talked about all of his kids accomplishments. He doted over Christine and commented about his time with her being “the best 27 years of his life”. My sense of his character as a father, husband, grandfather, provider,.. have been reinforced by the the wonderful slideshow. I didn’t know David that well, but his passing has really moved me and my prayers are with all his family and friends.
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