Dakota Levi Starlin

Dakota Levi Starlin, 30, of Topeka, Kansas, passed away at his home on February 14th, 2022.

He was born on June 5th, 1991 in Topeka, Kansas to Adrian Heironimus and Yvonne Starlin. He attended Lundgren Elementary, Chase Middle School, and graduated high school in Kansas City.

As a young child, he was always interested in trying new things, from learning to play the trombone and playing baseball, to developing confidence through karate. In high school, he enjoyed practicing debate.

Competitiveness was something he had often shown when playing dominoes and spades with his friends and family, all the while making sure his hair was still in place. It's said that Dakota would sometimes spend upward of an hour combing and positioning his hair to make sure he always looked his best.

Dakota was the kind of person who always found something to laugh about, being known for his quick wit. He had an infectious personality and a contagious smile that quickly took over and before you knew it, everyone in the room was smiling and laughing too. He had a great capacity for caring deeply. He made it a point to connect with each individual he cared about on a deeper level, showing genuine and honest interest in their lives.

Dakota was a man with many interests. He had a passion for gardening, beginning with his grandparents and continuing at his own home as he planted flowers in his front yard. He spent many nights sneaking over to his grandmother Lala's house, after her passing, to plant lavender for her without the new owners catching him.

Dakota loved being outside in the fresh air on his porch, where he spent a lot of time with his children. He enjoyed watching his older son Micah ride his bike up and down the street while his younger son, Levi, was blowing bubbles and his daughter, Ysela, bounced on his lap. He cherished those small moments.

Throughout Dakota's life, he had a passion for music, a genre for every mood and something was always playing in the background. He took pride in the record collection he gathered from his grandparents, as well as the newfound interest to learn the guitar, which his father had passed down to him.

Having a knack for working with his hands, Dakota made home repairs on his own. He also enjoyed auto mechanics and would offer to work on anyone's vehicle before they could work on it themselves. These natural handyman tendencies led him to his career in construction with B.R.B. Contractors. Dakota was looking forward to having a long future with them and the friendships he had made there.

Dakota is survived by his mother, Yvonne Starlin; his father, Adrian Heironimus; his grandparents, Garry and Gloria Weir; his fiancée, Nancy Hernandez; his three children, Micah Emerson, Levi Beaman, and Ysela Munoz; his brother, Stewart Starlin; his two sisters, Paige (Michael Smith) Heironimus, Jordyn Faught and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Dakota was preceded in death by his grandmother, Loulu Maye (Lala) Heironimus.

Honoring Dakota's wishes cremation is planned. A public viewing will take place Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm and a gathering of family and friends will follow from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm at Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave., Topeka, Kansas 66605.

Memorial contributions may be made out to Yvonne Starlin and sent to Dove Cremations and Funerals - Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave., Topeka, Kansas 66605.

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