David Chapin Overton, 65, of Liberty, passed away Thurday, March 14, 2024, in his home.
Dave was born in Columbia on February 28, 1959. He was the first and arguably best-looking of five children. Throughout his childhood, Dave lived in Trenton, North Kansas City, and Kansas City proper. Dave discovered a love of sports, work, and the outdoors at an early age. He spent his youth hunting and fishing at his Grandma Mona’s farm and began playing baseball at nine years old. At 14, Dave took his first job as a busboy at Little Caesar’s Pizza Treat to save money for a bicycle. Soon enough, he was the proud owner of a red 10-speed Schwinn, which he planned to ride from Kansas City to Lake of the Ozarks with his buddies. This plan was quickly thwarted by the boys’ parents, who could only do so much to keep their sons out of daily shenanigans.
By the time he reached high school, Dave was playing football, baseball and club soccer. He attended Oak Park High, where he made lifelong friends, lettered in football and graduated in 1977.
Dave headed off to William Jewell College on a soccer scholarship. He set out to study forestry. but quickly realized he would much rather make money. After one semester and many parties with his Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers, he dropped out to work full-time on the line at Armco Steel. Before long, he was dispatching freight for Armco and had picked up a second job at Indiana Liquid Transport. Despite working two full-time jobs, Dave still found time to coach youth soccer. He married Debbie Canaday in 1986 with the entire youth soccer team in attendance.
In 1987, Dave was laid off from Armco and focused on becoming the best dispatcher in the industry. He worked for several small dispatching companies for over 10 years, always making his way up to lead dispatcher. He was known industry-wide for his dedication and integrity. In 2002, he went to work for Horizon Freight, where he was integral to building a transportation empire. In 2008, he started “Cadillac Logistics,” his own transportation agency, where he worked side by side with Horizon until retiring in 2021. When he wasn’t working, he loved floating the White River in Arkansas with his family, skiing, deer hunting and watching the Chiefs win.
Though Dave was a stereotypical jock, he attended every weird play and dark, nerdy theater competition his daughter participated in, bearing a bouquet of flowers and delighted grin. He pushed his son to participate in sports and was at every game, match, tournament and inning, cheering Little David on from the sidelines. Still, there was no prouder moment for Dave than when he first held his grandson in 2013. Dave was a simple guy. He loved morel mushrooms, tropical beaches, his family and expensive sunglasses. He hated liver and onions, his mother-in-law’s meatloaf and confrontation. He made friends everywhere he went and volunteered for the Oak Park High School reunion planning committee each year. He had three stepchildren, who he treated and provided for like his own until the day he died. On any given night, you could find him eating at Luigi’s Italian Restaurant in Liberty, hanging out with his high school buddies, grilling or jamming to classic rock on his deck.
Dave is preceded in death by his father, Robert E. Overton. He is survived by his mother, Linda; his sister, Liz and her husband, Bill; his brothers, Jon and wife, Judy, Don and wife, Tamara and Steve; a gaggle of nieces and nephews; his children, Hannah and David; his grandson, Ryker Lane; and his granddogs, Salt the Boy and Poky.
A Celebration of Life will be held at The Grove Church, located at 7027 N Locust Street in Gladstone on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 3 p.m. A reception will follow the service at the same location. Dave was a Sharp Dressed Man, so we encourage you to wear your funeral finest in his honor. Friends and family are welcome. (Arrangements entrusted to Hidden Valley Funeral Home of Liberty, www.hiddenvalleyfunerals.com)
