David James Gleason Jr.

David James Gleason, Jr., “Dave” to friends, colleagues, and loved ones, passed away unexpectedly on May 18, 2024, at Williamson Medical Center in Franklin, TN surrounded by his loving family.

Dave was born on August 10, 1963 in Wausau, WI to Karen and David Gleason, Sr. His formative years were spent in Central Wisconsin, fostering a love of the outdoors on hunting and fishing trips with his dad, and developing a passion for all things Wisconsin sports. An avid fan of the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Wisconsin Badger college football and basketball teams, Dave loved cheering on his home teams and watching games with friends and family.

Dave attended and graduated from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, where he met his best friend and the love of his life, Kimberly. Dave earned his degrees in Accounting & Management Information Systems, before the couple moved to Nashville, TN in 1989, establishing roots that would last a lifetime. They married in 1993, celebrating 31 years of marriage on May 25.

Dave quickly found work in Music City, holding positions in IT at several different companies before landing at BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.), where he would rise to Sr. Director, Enterprise Applications, serving the company over a nearly 30-year tenure. His colleagues describe Dave as warm, kind, hard-working, and gifted, a fixer at heart and a friend to all he met.

Despite his excellence at the office, Dave’s greatest pride and joy was his family – the life he made with Kimberly, and their three beautiful children; Nicholas (27), Benjamin (24), and Madeline (21). Dave was a family man through and through, always eager to make lasting memories with the people he loved. He was famously known as the dad who was eager to take selfies for every occasion – something his kids and their friends enjoyed. This love for family and friends extended to pets, raising a myriad of rescue dogs alongside his kids the last 30 years. Recently he and Kim had settled into a routine of nightly walks with their dogs through Crockett Park and visiting with neighbors along the way.

A man of great integrity, Dave never did anything halfway – including do-it-yourself projects around their home in Brentwood and tending to his garden he planted every year. He loved to treat the family to different versions of his famous Garden Pasta, made with homegrown ingredients. 

Always prioritizing family, he enjoyed frequent trips to Northern Wisconsin at the Gleason family lake house and to Naples, FL, with his oldest son, Nicholas. 

The joy of Dave’s life was his family; the joy of their lives was being part of his.

Dave is survived by his mother; Karen Gleason (Schofield, WI); his wife, Kimberly (Brentwood, TN); his three children, Nicholas (Naples, FL), Benjamin (Kailua, HI), and Madeline (Knoxville, TN); and his sister, Kimberly (John) Sperl (Weston, WI). 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Dave’s memory can be made to the American Red Cross or Williamson County Animal Shelter.

The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood on Friday, May 24, immediately followed by a celebration of life service.