Obituary of Darwin List

Darwin List, age 68 of Yankton, SD passed away Sunday, May 07, 2017 at the Avera Heart Hospital, Sioux Falls, SD.  The Opsahl-Kostel Funeral Home & Crematory, Yankton, SD is assisting with arrangements. On-line condolences may be sent at: www.opsahl-kostelfuneralhome.com.

Darwin was born was on February 14, 1949 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton, SD to Peter and Bernice (Lynum) List.  He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yankton.  He attended Yankton Public Schools and graduated from Yankton High in 1967, he still is extremely close to many of his classmates.  He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967 and served for three years which included two tours in Vietnam.  On December 18, 1971, he married Kathy Christensen at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yankton, and to this union two sons were born: Todd and Tony. 

He owned and operated several businesses from Bootlegger Pool Hall to a few furniture stores, I’m sure he got that niche from his father, Pete who owned and operated Pete’s New and Used Furniture Store in Yankton for many years.  Darwin also owned and operated Five Subway Sandwich Shops with the help of his wife, Kathy and both sons.  He also was in car sales and finance for seven years and often told his story that he sold a car to a man who didn’t know how to drive.  They moved to Arizona and back to South Dakota a few times and now have the best of both worlds as they became snowbirds in 2008. 

During his retirement years, he became a handyman and helped everyone and anyone that needed help.  He had many hobbies such as woodworking, golfing, fishing and hiking but most of all he loved fixing things around the house.  He was always asking Kathy, “Is there anything that needed fixing?”

He will be missed by everyone who knew him especially his wife, Kathy of 45 years.  Sons, Todd List and significant other, Sunny Reaser of Mesa, AZ and Tony List and significant other, Kelly Brown of Yankton, SD and their daughter, Livienne “Livi” Marie List, age 2 ½; a brother, Tearle (Dot) List of Gold Canyon, AZ; three sisters: Illa Torgerson of Irene, SD, Roxanne (Dennis) Lagerlof of Sioux Falls, SD, and Kerrin Larson Einrem of Sioux Falls, SD; other family members he is extremely close to are his mother-in-law, Norma Christensen of Yankton, SD; sister-in-law, Carol Miller of Des Moines, IA; brother-in-law, Charles (Polly) Christensen of Westminster, CO and many nieces, nephews, cousins and their spouses.  Many close friends who will miss him dearly.

Darwin was preceded in death by his parents, his father-in-law, Kenneth Christensen, two brothers-in-law, Dolan Torgerson and John “Jack” Miller and a nephew, Robert Young.