STOW - David J. Carcel, age 74, of Stow, OH, passed from this life on September 26, 2026, surrounded by his family and by the love of his friends and community.

Dave was born to Manuel and Catherine Carcel and grew up in a large, dynamic family in a North Philadelphia neighborhood. He joined the Navy after high school and was selected for specialized electronic training at the Naval Station Great Lakes Service School Command. He was stationed in Naples, Italy during the Vietnam War, running secure communications for NATO. This specialized training and service experience, along with his natural intelligence and love of learning, launched him into a college education of advanced math and sciences at Temple University. This was followed by a career as a Biomedical Equipment Technician at Siemens until his retirement.

More than his service, scholarship or career achievements, Dave valued relationships. He was a man devoted to his family and community. His defining role was father to his beloved daughter, Carolyn. He was a devoted and loving husband of 25 years to his wife, Marian. The title he cherished most of all was Grandpa to Colin, Addison, Niko, and Isabel.

Dave was someone who loved life and lived it well. A man of many talents and hobbies, he never lost his love of learning or the desire to conquer a challenge - be it photography, woodworking, or the Spanish language. He was a master at the lost art of storytelling and his “Grandpa Stories” will live on in the hearts of his older grandchildren and be passed along to the younger ones. His love of travel and adventure took him and his family all over the world, but he also lived out loud in the everyday moments. He loved cooking and hiking in nature. An evening at home with Dave would often mean putting on music and dancing in the living room. He had the kind of laugh that made it impossible not to laugh along with him. Dave’s example of a life well lived and its lessons will be remembered by all who knew him.

Dave is survived by his wife, Marian (nee Oswald); his daughter Carolyn (Jurgen) and stepdaughters Kate (Chris) and Molly; his four grandchildren: Colin and Addison LeVan, and Niko and Isabel van Geest; his siblings: Jim, Michael, Matthew, Louis, Sharon, Phillip, Vince, Donna, Dennis, and Dianne; and his Goddaughter, Michell. He was preceded in death by his parents Manuel and Catherine (nee Lakey) and his two brothers Robert and Frank.

Dave’s extraordinary life will be celebrated on October 17, 2026, at 3:00 pm, at Hobbs Hall in Kent, OH.

Memorial donations may be made in Dave’s memory to the American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society), Doctors Without Borders (www.doctors without borders.org), or the Akron-Canton Regional Food Bank (www.akroncantonfoodbank.org).