Father Dave Halaiko was born in Akron, Ohio in 1941 He attended Catholic elementary and high schools, Borromeo College and St Mary Seminary. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1967. After serving at St Ann, Cleveland Hts, St Mark, Cleveland and St Paul, Akron, he was sent by Bishop James Hickey to establish a new parish, Nativity of the Lord Jesus, in Springfield Township.
He retired in 2017 and is in residence at St Vincent, Akron. He has a licence for guiding in Israel and he has led pilgrimages there and to Italy, Greece and Turkey. He is the author of a guide book for Israel and coauthor with Mike Aquilina of an updated version of that guide book. He also created a photographic book of Akron area Catholic and Orthodox churches. He is a member of the Summit County Historical Society, Progress Through Preservation, The Cascade Locks Association and he was a member of the Cleveland Diocese Building Commission.