David Lukens was born June 4, 1941, in Spooner, Wisconsin, to Carl Lukens and Anna Gren. He grew up on a farm about a mile west of Shell Lake with his siblings, John and Shirley. His life was defined by adventure with his lifelong friends, a remarkable ability to build or fix anything, and a sharp sense of humor.

Dave was especially proud of his time in the U.S. Army, serving as a tank operator in Germany during the construction of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

In 1965, Dave met Carole Ramaker at her 18th birthday party. They married soon after and spent 30 years building a life together, raising two wonderful children, Shawna Alt and Travis Lukens (Jessica). Dave deeply appreciated his relationship with his former son-in-law Scott Alt and the projects they worked on together.

Apart from 11 months at Boeing in Seattle, where he worked as an engineering draftsman, Dave spent his career with Alkar designing meat processing equipment. His work took him all over the world—Japan, Korea, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, England, Finland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, and France—installing systems that revolutionized hot dog production. By the time of his retirement in 2005, it was said that if you ate a hot dog, there was an 85% chance it was made on a machine he designed.

In 1995, Dave met Linda Wiedenfeld and her three daughters—Michelle Wiedenfeld, Renee Cefalu (Matt), and Georgia Mellum (Tim). For the past 30 years, Dave and Linda shared a life full of joy: riding motorcycles, hosting 4th of July fish frys, making sauerkraut, raising chickens, and spoiling their grandchildren. Their blended family includes eight grandchildren—Thomas Alt, Will Alt, Logan Gallagher, Emily Cefalu (A.J), James Cefalu, Sarah Regal (Josh), David Carter, and Steele Mellum (Hannah)—and two great-grandchildren, Hunter Lee Mellum and Carter Regal. Their grandchildren made their lives complete.

Dave was a devoted volunteer, active with the Sauk Prairie Airport Association and Heroes for Honor until the end of his life.

Surrounded by his loving family, Dave's final adventure came to an end on July 9, 2025, when prostate cancer—one of the few things he couldn't fix—took him home.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, John; his sister, Shirley; and Linda's daughter, Georgia.

Dave's family would like to thank everyone who attended his celebration of life in April. The outpouring of love he received brought him immeasurable joy during his final months. They would also like to express their deepest gratitude to the Agrace Hospice team.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Agrace HospiceCare or Badger Honor Flight, two organizations close to Dave's heart.

A private family ceremony will be held later this month, and he will be interred at the Prairie du Sac Cemetery.

We are heartbroken not to be part of whatever comes next, but grateful for a lifetime of memories. We will endure a lifetime of missing him for the privilege of loving him.