I always knew him as David, and he was my only grandson's Daddy. He was born and raised in Georgia, where we met him when my husband got transferred there. He would have turned 40 this year, but went to join his grandparents, John and Emma Gaddis, and his Dad, John David Gaddis, who died in 2008.
He is also joining his 16 year old son, John David "J.D." Gaddis, who died last year in 2008.
Services were held Wed. 10/21/2009 at 2PM in the Chapel of Shawn Chapman Funeral Home with Rev. John George officating and burial in the Eton Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Dale Morris Gaddis, his Mom, Patricia Gail Gaddis, his brother, Roy Gaddis, and his sister and brother-in-law, Amanda & Greg Wright, all of Georgia.
~~~The following is from Dale~~~
I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers & thoughts during David's illness. He fought his illness for a long time since his stroke in December of 2007 and never gave up. He lost his best friend/Dad in March after the stroke and then in November he lost his son, JD, who was 16 years old. He never really recovered from losing either of them. And he could not accept the fact that he would probably never be "David" again.
He loved trout fishing, camping, hiking and most of all, trucking. And one of our favorite things was to just get in the car & ride, stopping wherever we thought looked interesting. Of course, with David, that usually included whatever BBQ place looked good! On the spur of the moment, we would jump in the car, ride to Nashville, visit all the bluegrass bars (David didn't drink much at all...me, a different story!), and then head home and watch the sunrise. Some of you met him at 2 of our high school reunions. I always joked with him that he was the only person I took to 2 of them...I went with somebody else to each of the others. He was the love of my life and I stayed by his side constantly after his illness. We were together 12 years but we never got married, at least not "in the eyes of the Lord", as some choose to put it. But we professed our love forever beside our favorite camping place by the river we loved so much. And there's no doubt that God accepted us as husband and wife. It was for life & we knew it was until death. Some people didn't recognize that, but that just showed their ignorance as far as we were concerned. Our feeling was that so many people get married in church and then divorce, cheat, etc., so our feeling was that we were more married than those that married "in church in the eyes of the Lord". That was our belief and no matter what anyone else thought, it did not matter in the least.
After David's illness, he would of course get frustrated so it was understandable that sometimes he would be agitated but he always apologize & it never lasted for long. We had a unique relationship. I can honestly say that he never raised his voice to me in over 10 years. I wish more of you would have known him...he was such a good person and he never met a stranger.
After Katrina, he delivered FEMA trailers to New Orleans & told me often about giving his last few dollars to somebody for food or water. Then he would eat crackers & vienna sausages on the way home (or wire me for some money!). He had so many wonderful memories of the times he and Greg, his brother in law, would go on their trips to deliver boats. He would tell the stories over and over again about their trips to California, New England, Texas...everywhere they went & all the different food they ate. We would laugh just as hard each time he told the stories. Greg was his BROTHER and David loved him with all his heart.
I could go on and on about what a wonderful, loving person he was. The main thing is that he loved me so much and often he would take care of me when I knew he didn't feel like it himself. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis & had bad days from time to time so he would help me around & fix something to eat even if just sandwiches. We were both not in the best of health but we managed, mainly because of the love for each other.We are both stubborn & strong people. When I found David that awful morning I prayed to God to take me instead. He was a much better person than I and the world would have been better off without me than without David.
David has always been a person of faith but recently had expressed the desire to be baptised and was looking forward to it so much. But he never got the chance. But there is no doubt in my mind where he is now & he is no longer struggling to walk or in pain or sick. He is with his Dad, his son, his cousin, Randy, his uncle and his many other friends that have gone on. I'm sure they are sitting around playing music (bluegrass was their favorite). People say you don't know relatives when you get to heaven but I can't accept that right now. I just want to picture him with his beautiful smile & playing his guitar sitting between his Dad & his son.
I will miss him so much & I don't know what I will do with my life now. Please continue to pray for me...I will need it now more than ever.I have a lot of decisions to make which will be hard without David to help me.
Dale
He is also joining his 16 year old son, John David "J.D." Gaddis, who died last year in 2008.
Services were held Wed. 10/21/2009 at 2PM in the Chapel of Shawn Chapman Funeral Home with Rev. John George officating and burial in the Eton Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Dale Morris Gaddis, his Mom, Patricia Gail Gaddis, his brother, Roy Gaddis, and his sister and brother-in-law, Amanda & Greg Wright, all of Georgia.
~~~The following is from Dale~~~
I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers & thoughts during David's illness. He fought his illness for a long time since his stroke in December of 2007 and never gave up. He lost his best friend/Dad in March after the stroke and then in November he lost his son, JD, who was 16 years old. He never really recovered from losing either of them. And he could not accept the fact that he would probably never be "David" again.
He loved trout fishing, camping, hiking and most of all, trucking. And one of our favorite things was to just get in the car & ride, stopping wherever we thought looked interesting. Of course, with David, that usually included whatever BBQ place looked good! On the spur of the moment, we would jump in the car, ride to Nashville, visit all the bluegrass bars (David didn't drink much at all...me, a different story!), and then head home and watch the sunrise. Some of you met him at 2 of our high school reunions. I always joked with him that he was the only person I took to 2 of them...I went with somebody else to each of the others. He was the love of my life and I stayed by his side constantly after his illness. We were together 12 years but we never got married, at least not "in the eyes of the Lord", as some choose to put it. But we professed our love forever beside our favorite camping place by the river we loved so much. And there's no doubt that God accepted us as husband and wife. It was for life & we knew it was until death. Some people didn't recognize that, but that just showed their ignorance as far as we were concerned. Our feeling was that so many people get married in church and then divorce, cheat, etc., so our feeling was that we were more married than those that married "in church in the eyes of the Lord". That was our belief and no matter what anyone else thought, it did not matter in the least.
After David's illness, he would of course get frustrated so it was understandable that sometimes he would be agitated but he always apologize & it never lasted for long. We had a unique relationship. I can honestly say that he never raised his voice to me in over 10 years. I wish more of you would have known him...he was such a good person and he never met a stranger.
After Katrina, he delivered FEMA trailers to New Orleans & told me often about giving his last few dollars to somebody for food or water. Then he would eat crackers & vienna sausages on the way home (or wire me for some money!). He had so many wonderful memories of the times he and Greg, his brother in law, would go on their trips to deliver boats. He would tell the stories over and over again about their trips to California, New England, Texas...everywhere they went & all the different food they ate. We would laugh just as hard each time he told the stories. Greg was his BROTHER and David loved him with all his heart.
I could go on and on about what a wonderful, loving person he was. The main thing is that he loved me so much and often he would take care of me when I knew he didn't feel like it himself. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis & had bad days from time to time so he would help me around & fix something to eat even if just sandwiches. We were both not in the best of health but we managed, mainly because of the love for each other.We are both stubborn & strong people. When I found David that awful morning I prayed to God to take me instead. He was a much better person than I and the world would have been better off without me than without David.
David has always been a person of faith but recently had expressed the desire to be baptised and was looking forward to it so much. But he never got the chance. But there is no doubt in my mind where he is now & he is no longer struggling to walk or in pain or sick. He is with his Dad, his son, his cousin, Randy, his uncle and his many other friends that have gone on. I'm sure they are sitting around playing music (bluegrass was their favorite). People say you don't know relatives when you get to heaven but I can't accept that right now. I just want to picture him with his beautiful smile & playing his guitar sitting between his Dad & his son.
I will miss him so much & I don't know what I will do with my life now. Please continue to pray for me...I will need it now more than ever.I have a lot of decisions to make which will be hard without David to help me.
Dale
I always knew him as David, and he was my only grandson's Daddy. He was born and raised in Georgia, where we met him when my husband got transferred there. He would have turned 40 this year, but went to join his grandparents, John and Emma Gaddis, and his Dad, John David Gaddis, who died in 2008.
He is also joining his 16 year old son, John David "J.D." Gaddis, who died last year in 2008.
Services were held Wed. 10/21/2009 at 2PM in the Chapel of Shawn Chapman Funeral Home with Rev. John George officating and burial in the Eton Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Dale Morris Gaddis, his Mom, Patricia Gail Gaddis, his brother, Roy Gaddis, and his sister and brother-in-law, Amanda & Greg Wright, all of Georgia.
~~~The following is from Dale~~~
I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers & thoughts during David's illness. He fought his illness for a long time since his stroke in December of 2007 and never gave up. He lost his best friend/Dad in March after the stroke and then in November he lost his son, JD, who was 16 years old. He never really recovered from losing either of them. And he could not accept the fact that he would probably never be "David" again.
He loved trout fishing, camping, hiking and most of all, trucking. And one of our favorite things was to just get in the car & ride, stopping wherever we thought looked interesting. Of course, with David, that usually included whatever BBQ place looked good! On the spur of the moment, we would jump in the car, ride to Nashville, visit all the bluegrass bars (David didn't drink much at all...me, a different story!), and then head home and watch the sunrise. Some of you met him at 2 of our high school reunions. I always joked with him that he was the only person I took to 2 of them...I went with somebody else to each of the others. He was the love of my life and I stayed by his side constantly after his illness. We were together 12 years but we never got married, at least not "in the eyes of the Lord", as some choose to put it. But we professed our love forever beside our favorite camping place by the river we loved so much. And there's no doubt that God accepted us as husband and wife. It was for life & we knew it was until death. Some people didn't recognize that, but that just showed their ignorance as far as we were concerned. Our feeling was that so many people get married in church and then divorce, cheat, etc., so our feeling was that we were more married than those that married "in church in the eyes of the Lord". That was our belief and no matter what anyone else thought, it did not matter in the least.
After David's illness, he would of course get frustrated so it was understandable that sometimes he would be agitated but he always apologize & it never lasted for long. We had a unique relationship. I can honestly say that he never raised his voice to me in over 10 years. I wish more of you would have known him...he was such a good person and he never met a stranger.
After Katrina, he delivered FEMA trailers to New Orleans & told me often about giving his last few dollars to somebody for food or water. Then he would eat crackers & vienna sausages on the way home (or wire me for some money!). He had so many wonderful memories of the times he and Greg, his brother in law, would go on their trips to deliver boats. He would tell the stories over and over again about their trips to California, New England, Texas...everywhere they went & all the different food they ate. We would laugh just as hard each time he told the stories. Greg was his BROTHER and David loved him with all his heart.
I could go on and on about what a wonderful, loving person he was. The main thing is that he loved me so much and often he would take care of me when I knew he didn't feel like it himself. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis & had bad days from time to time so he would help me around & fix something to eat even if just sandwiches. We were both not in the best of health but we managed, mainly because of the love for each other.We are both stubborn & strong people. When I found David that awful morning I prayed to God to take me instead. He was a much better person than I and the world would have been better off without me than without David.
David has always been a person of faith but recently had expressed the desire to be baptised and was looking forward to it so much. But he never got the chance. But there is no doubt in my mind where he is now & he is no longer struggling to walk or in pain or sick. He is with his Dad, his son, his cousin, Randy, his uncle and his many other friends that have gone on. I'm sure they are sitting around playing music (bluegrass was their favorite). People say you don't know relatives when you get to heaven but I can't accept that right now. I just want to picture him with his beautiful smile & playing his guitar sitting between his Dad & his son.
I will miss him so much & I don't know what I will do with my life now. Please continue to pray for me...I will need it now more than ever.I have a lot of decisions to make which will be hard without David to help me.
Dale
He is also joining his 16 year old son, John David "J.D." Gaddis, who died last year in 2008.
Services were held Wed. 10/21/2009 at 2PM in the Chapel of Shawn Chapman Funeral Home with Rev. John George officating and burial in the Eton Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Dale Morris Gaddis, his Mom, Patricia Gail Gaddis, his brother, Roy Gaddis, and his sister and brother-in-law, Amanda & Greg Wright, all of Georgia.
~~~The following is from Dale~~~
I just wanted to thank you all for your prayers & thoughts during David's illness. He fought his illness for a long time since his stroke in December of 2007 and never gave up. He lost his best friend/Dad in March after the stroke and then in November he lost his son, JD, who was 16 years old. He never really recovered from losing either of them. And he could not accept the fact that he would probably never be "David" again.
He loved trout fishing, camping, hiking and most of all, trucking. And one of our favorite things was to just get in the car & ride, stopping wherever we thought looked interesting. Of course, with David, that usually included whatever BBQ place looked good! On the spur of the moment, we would jump in the car, ride to Nashville, visit all the bluegrass bars (David didn't drink much at all...me, a different story!), and then head home and watch the sunrise. Some of you met him at 2 of our high school reunions. I always joked with him that he was the only person I took to 2 of them...I went with somebody else to each of the others. He was the love of my life and I stayed by his side constantly after his illness. We were together 12 years but we never got married, at least not "in the eyes of the Lord", as some choose to put it. But we professed our love forever beside our favorite camping place by the river we loved so much. And there's no doubt that God accepted us as husband and wife. It was for life & we knew it was until death. Some people didn't recognize that, but that just showed their ignorance as far as we were concerned. Our feeling was that so many people get married in church and then divorce, cheat, etc., so our feeling was that we were more married than those that married "in church in the eyes of the Lord". That was our belief and no matter what anyone else thought, it did not matter in the least.
After David's illness, he would of course get frustrated so it was understandable that sometimes he would be agitated but he always apologize & it never lasted for long. We had a unique relationship. I can honestly say that he never raised his voice to me in over 10 years. I wish more of you would have known him...he was such a good person and he never met a stranger.
After Katrina, he delivered FEMA trailers to New Orleans & told me often about giving his last few dollars to somebody for food or water. Then he would eat crackers & vienna sausages on the way home (or wire me for some money!). He had so many wonderful memories of the times he and Greg, his brother in law, would go on their trips to deliver boats. He would tell the stories over and over again about their trips to California, New England, Texas...everywhere they went & all the different food they ate. We would laugh just as hard each time he told the stories. Greg was his BROTHER and David loved him with all his heart.
I could go on and on about what a wonderful, loving person he was. The main thing is that he loved me so much and often he would take care of me when I knew he didn't feel like it himself. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis & had bad days from time to time so he would help me around & fix something to eat even if just sandwiches. We were both not in the best of health but we managed, mainly because of the love for each other.We are both stubborn & strong people. When I found David that awful morning I prayed to God to take me instead. He was a much better person than I and the world would have been better off without me than without David.
David has always been a person of faith but recently had expressed the desire to be baptised and was looking forward to it so much. But he never got the chance. But there is no doubt in my mind where he is now & he is no longer struggling to walk or in pain or sick. He is with his Dad, his son, his cousin, Randy, his uncle and his many other friends that have gone on. I'm sure they are sitting around playing music (bluegrass was their favorite). People say you don't know relatives when you get to heaven but I can't accept that right now. I just want to picture him with his beautiful smile & playing his guitar sitting between his Dad & his son.
I will miss him so much & I don't know what I will do with my life now. Please continue to pray for me...I will need it now more than ever.I have a lot of decisions to make which will be hard without David to help me.
Dale
Family Members
Parents
Children
