David A. Piskorski

age 57, of Mounds View, MN, passed away on May 16. He was born on April 28, 1969, in Omaha, NE. Thanks to economic turbulence which buffeted this country in the 1970s and early 1980s, David and the rest of his family had the opportunity to live in various locales throughout the Great Plains and Upper Midwest. His father Edward worked in the meat packing industry and as one plant after another closed, the family moved from Nebraska, to Missouri, back to Nebraska, to Wisconsin for the first time, to Iowa, before settling in New London, WI, some 50 miles west of Green Bay in 1980. Lest you think that proximity to Titletown led to a lifelong allegiance to the Packers, he was already smitten with the team during his first stay in Wisconsin in the 1970s. And no, those years were not glorious by any means, but he had a natural affinity for the underdog. He graduated from New London Senior High School in 1987 ranking in the middle of a class of some 150 other students; not too high, not too low, but rather just average. From there, he attended two years at nearby UW-Oshkosh before transferring to the University of Minnesota to finish his undergraduate education. A highlight of his time at the University of Minnesota was a study abroad program which took him to Lublin, Poland in October 1991 to attend classes at Marie-Curia Sklodowska University. There he met and fell in love with his dear wife Jadwiga (formerly Pietryka). Perhaps this first journey into Poland led to a life-long fascination with travel, especially to the often overlooked countries of the former Soviet Bloc, as well as the now fading tradition of sending postcards from remote locales documenting the journey. David found great joy in searching for, collecting, writing, and sending postcards to family and friends. The unofficial record was around 150 postcards mailed out over the course of three weeks touring Bulgaria, Romania, and Poland. Based on feedback received over the years, the recipients enjoyed finding them in their mailboxes.

In his later years with greater maturity and life experiences, David came to grow in his Catholic faith. He joined the parish of the Church of the Holy Cross in North-East Minneapolis in the mid-1990s and found a home for the next 30+years. So, for all those Priests, Sisters, and Laypeople who devoted so much effort to David in Faith Formation classes in his early years when he wasn’t particularly interested in learning about God, thank you for helping to form a rather indifferent student into something much better. The seeds you planted so many years eventually did germinate; that process just took longer than any of us expected! He also with time grew to believe deeply in sustainability and caring for the earth. His final wishes included a green burial to return gently to the soil. The family thanks Gearty Delmore Funeral Home and Resurrection Cemetery for making his wishes for an eco-friendly burial possible and for their compassionate support.

He is survived by his wife Jadwiga; daughter Ela; brother Mark (Thu); nephews Andrew (Kayla), Matthew (Lyndee), Derek, Clayton (Jesse). He is preceded in death by his parents Edward and Marianne, siblings Mary Christine, Edward Jr, and Ellen. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 12:00 Noon Thursday, May 28th at The Church of the Holy Cross, 1621 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Church of the Holy Cross or The Nature Conservancy in David’s memory. Natural burial and graveside service will be held 10 AM Friday May 29th at Resurrection Cemetery, 2101 Lexington Avenue South, Mendota Heights, MN 55120.