David Sargent

David Michael Sargent passed away peacefully on December 4, 2025, after a long battle with dementia. Arrangements are with Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids.

He was born on August 30, 1945, in Easton, Pennsylvania.  Mike, as he affectionately came to be known, was the son of Donald and Molly Sargent. From a young age, he was defiant in ways that always offered an air of charm.  He owned a car by age fourteen, and he carried a lifelong appreciation for special automobiles and motorcycles his entire life.  The soul of the machine being the deciding factor.

David was the definition of unconventional.  He was a gifted writer, creative thinker, and quiet observer of the world.  He wore a benevolent heart on his sleeve.  David earned his undergraduate degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, then attended the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa, where he obtained his master’s degree.  His love of language led him into a successful career in advertising. It was while working at an agency in Waterloo that he met the love of his life, Mandy, whom he treasured beyond measure.

David was famously frugal to a fault—known to shut off his car at stoplights to save fuel. His children will never forget the frigid chill of winter in the family home, where the thermostat stayed low and heat was always supplemented with a wood stove. Endless weekends were spent cutting and stacking firewood as David reminded them, “Wood is wealth,” and “Wood warms you twice.” He was always practical, exercising reason and restraint, often telling his children, “Time is money.”

Teaching his children to drive a manual transmission was not optional—it was a tradition. Their relationships were filled with spirited debate, mutual respect, deep love, and perhaps most importantly, the freedom to become their own individual selves.

David loved fried chicken, a stiff cocktail, long conversations, cars, politics, baseball, books, and especially poetry. His writing reflected the spirit of the Beat Generation. He remained witty through his final days.

David was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mandy; parents, Donald & Molly Sargent; his father and mother-in-law, Bill and Janice Hahn; a special uncle, Hugh Sargent; and many treasured pets.

He is survived by his three children, Jesse Sargent, Toby (Kim) Sargent, and Holly (Nick) Kloubec; three grandchildren, Gracie Hand, Carsyn Hand, and Britton Kloubec; brother, Tom (Sue) Sargent; two sisters-in-law, Sue (John) Hawn, and Katy (Dave) Rohle; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Special gratitude is extended to Nurse Jenny and the staff at the Hiawatha Care Center, whose compassion, patience, and care meant so much during David’s final chapter.

David will be remembered for his intelligence, kindness, fierce independence, sharp wit, and the quiet, lasting impact he made on those who loved him.

Please share your support and memories with David’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under Obituaries.