Kansas City families will walk to honor loved ones lost to suicide Saturday at English Landing Park

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Editor's note: This story discusses suicide and may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, call or text the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If there is immediate danger, call 911.

KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.

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Tina Amelung always wanted a pool. She and her fiancé of 12 years, Dave Coleman, lived on 60 acres in the southern reaches of the Kansas City area, where they planned to raise cattle someday.

"Dave loved that property," Amelung said. "... He put in a lake, and I was always like, 'I want a pool, honey. I want a pool.' And he's like, 'We are not getting a pool. You can swim in the lake.'"

That was a hard pass for Amelung.

"There are snakes and critters in there," she said with a hearty laugh.

Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends and neighbors who have lost a loved one to suicide will gather Saturday at English Landing Park for the annual Out of the Darkness Greater Kansas City Walk.

For Amelung, it is a chance to honor Coleman's memory. He died by suicide in September 2025.

"I think he would be thrilled that I'm doing this," Amelung said. "... Dave was all about giving back, giving back to the community, helping those in need, and I know — again, “Thanks, honey” — he's looking down on me, saying, 'You're doing what I would want you to do with this.’”

Before he died, Coleman was the business manager for the local Ironworkers union. He was known personally and professionally for his toughness but also his compassion, including sharing his love of fishing with children from the city who’ve never had a chance, veterans and everyone in between.

"I just never thought he would do that,” Amelung said of Coleman’s death. “A lot of people that were very close to Dave had the same thought. That's why everybody struggles with it. But if I think that a message is that it can affect any family, any person, any community, any time, and so we have to be aware.”

Conversations about seeking help and preventing suicide have become more common, but navigating the journey of grief for those left behind remains a challenge.

"You have all these people that in the beginning are right there checking on you, and then it stops," Amelung said.

Gatherings like the Out of the Darkness Walk, a nationwide effort by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, help build support networks.

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"It's about the families that have lost loved ones to suicide, and making sure that they have communities to grieve with because it don't go away," Amelung said.

Grace Englehart, a board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Greater Kansas City Chapter, echoed that sentiment.

"I think we are connected in such an important way when we come to these community walks,” she said. “Our participants will have a place to cry, to laugh, to love, and to learn.”

The memorial wall is one of the most cherished traditions.

Englehart became a board member for the local chapter after struggling to help a friend who was considering suicide. The walk on Saturday is part fundraiser, but community is at its core.

"It's also a space for us to gather and kind of talk about how our city, our teams, our participants are affected by suicide," Englehart said.

For Amelung, the motivation is deeply personal.

"Dave was my best friend, my soulmate,” she said, “but if I can take a devastating loss to our family and make something positive come out of it, if I can help one person to bring awareness to it, to make people aware that we need to ask questions, I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.”

She won't be alone. Just like she wasn't in early September when she finally went for a swim in that lake Coleman loved so much.

"Labor Day weekend, I swam in that lake, and I'm like, 'I did it, honey. I swam in it,'" Amelung said, laughing again. "One and done, and now I'm gonna get a pool."

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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