The world was a little louder, a little funnier, and a whole lot kinder when David was in it. He had a way of making people laugh when they needed it most, of finding the joy in even the hardest days. He saw people—their struggles, their hearts, their humanity—and he never turned away. He was the kind of man who gave without hesitation, without expectation, slipping a few bills into the hands of someone on the street, knowing that kindness was never wasted.

If time could be rewound, it wouldn’t be to some grand event—it would be to something simple. A morning at Denny’s, a table full of laughter, hot coffee in hand, the sound of his voice filling the room. The comfort of knowing he was there, steady and real. And afterward, he’d do what he always did—step outside, glance around, find someone who needed a little help and give what he could. That was David. A heart too big for his own good, a soul too soft for this world, but strong enough to keep giving anyway.

"I love you always and forever. You are loved unconditionally. You are needed. Your story isn’t over—there is more to be written."

David was many things—a father who adored his children, a grandfather who beamed with pride at his grandkids, a son who never let a day pass without loving his mama out loud. He wasn’t ashamed of it. He never cared if the world thought he should be tougher, quieter, less. He lived exactly as he was, without apology, without pretense.

His story is one of love, of laughter, of struggles that didn’t define him. He would want that to be known. He would want his life to remind people that mistakes don’t make you unworthy. That battles—mental illness, addiction, hardship—don’t mean you aren’t still good. That no matter how hard things get, no one should ever feel too ashamed to ask for help.

David’s story isn’t over. It lives on in his children, in his grandchildren, in the memories that refuse to fade. It lingers in every joke told at the right moment, in every act of quiet kindness, in every person who carries his love forward.

David, you were larger than life, impossible to forget, and forever loved.