David Hirni

David Duane Hirni passed away November 17th 2022 after being diagnosed with a rare disease called amyloidosis. He was born to Norma and Troy Hirni on February 10th, 1944 in Hopkinsville Kentucky. He grew up in Holden Missouri, then went to college in Joplin on a football scholarship. After school, he moved to Kansas City where he met his wife Barbara Kalb, and became a father to two children, three if you count his business- Waldo Bikes- where he spent 38 years selling and repairing bicycles, only closing his doors when he became too ill to continue working.

He was a simple, yet exceptionally unique person. Material items and esthetics held no value to him. His closet is full of tattered jeans and previously owned flannels. His billfold is decades old, and when it was suggested he replace it, he responded with a quizzical look, wondering why a perfectly functional item was felt to be only fit for the trash.

He valued the utility of things, the purpose they had to offer, rather than their appearance or symbolism- and he saw value in things the rest of us would have discarded. He had a tendency to view people in this same way. In a world where so many are desperate to project an image of perfection, where our own self worth is dependent upon who we outrank in arbitrarily decided societal benchmarks, Dave had no interest in feeling better than anyone else. He was always content to be nothing more or less than exactly who he was. He had a way of appreciating people for their own authenticity, and not requiring any more or tolerating any less than that. While his unwillingness to filter any opinion or appraisal of a situation could be hilarious at best and cringey at worst, it was also his super power- to live unapologetically as exactly who he intended to be. He couldn’t fathom why anyone would live any other way.

He helped people when they asked. He helped people when they didn’t ask. He charged a different rate in his bike shop for single mothers. He hired a homeless man to paint the house when he came asking Dave for work. He then had to hire a professional to fix the work the homeless man did, but he never regretted giving him the chance. He believed you weren’t supposed to verify the merit of the recipient before gifting your generosity to a person. He trusted people. He looked for the best in people, and found worth in people society would have otherwise discarded, like a tattered old billfold.

He was honest to a fault- I mean not even capable of telling a white lie. He was not a person to ask if an outfit made you look fat, unless you were truly ready for the real answer.

He had a great sense of humor, and he was quick to make light of anything too serious, even when that made him the butt of the joke. He had an ability to absolutely dissolve his wife into giggles. He’d say with feigned annoyance, “there she goes,” and roll his eyes, but they always glittered with mischievous satisfaction as she wiped tears of laughter from her own.

He loved watching football, drinking cold beer, and making questionable bets with his best buddies. He hardly ate anything without first drenching it in Tabasco sauce. He enjoyed hearty political discussions with complete strangers, and wasted little time on meaningless small talk. He loved meeting all the colorful, unique humans that wandered through his shop and through his life, but most of all he loved his family, and he will be sorely missed by them.

He is preceded in death by his parents Norma and Troy Hirni, and brother Troy “Eddie” Hirni. He is survived by his wife Barbara Kalb, Daughters Kirstin Hirni and Rachel Plakorus, and sister Christine Hile.

Per his wishes, there will be no formal services, but you can certainly honor Dave by having a cold beer during the Chiefs game. In lieu of flowers or gifts for the family, feel free to shop at a local business, or donate to pretty much any charity as long as it’s not supporting a conservative agenda.