David Dowdell Easley, Sr. (Obituary)

David D. Easley, Sr.
May 7, 1955 – November 3, 2023

David Dowdell Easley, Sr., 68, died on Friday evening, November 3, 2023, and is now at home with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was a native of Port Gibson, Mississippi and resident of Cedar Bluff, Mississippi. He is preceded in death by his father, Obadiah W. Easley, Jr.; his parents, Malcolm and Jane Easley Montgomery; and two sons, Scott Dowdell Easley and Gregory John Easley.

David was born to Oby and Jane Dowdell Easley of Port Gibson, MS on May 7, 1955. When he was 5 months old, David and his brother and sister lost their father in a tragic airplane crash. His mother, Jane, married Malcolm Montgomery in 1958, and God blessed David with two more sisters in the following years. Raised on the White Clover Hereford Farm, in 1973 the farm boy left behind the deep hills of Claiborne county for college at Mississippi State University. David received his degree in accounting, and in 1981 he married Marilyn McBride of Brookhaven, MS. They lived in Carlisle, MS; Vicksburg, MS; and Brookhaven, MS before David moved his growing family back to Starkville, MS in 1987 to begin his career at Mississippi State University. Beginning as business manager for both the Mississippi State Alumni Association and Foundation, David retired as the MSU Foundation Executive Director of Finance and CFO in 2019. David is remembered at MSU for his success in growing and directing the Foundation’s investments, for the genuine care he demonstrated for the hundreds of people he knew and served in his almost 33 years at MSU, and for his impeccable record of honesty and financial transparency, a record that sets the standard for Christian work and integrity as a faithful servant of Jesus Christ.

In addition to David’s work at MSU, he is well-remembered for a variety of service and gifts. He served as President of the Mississippi Home Educators Association, advocating for home school families, as well as home schooling his five children alongside Marilyn for 31 years. He built his own home in Cedar Bluff and enjoyed welcoming family and friends to spend time together on the porch, around a campfire, or watching MSU sports. He is remembered for his ability to lead worship at a campsite with his guitar and sing and lead music in church, as well as for his sense of humor, his kindness, and his character. He loved the outdoors and spending time hiking, camping, snow skiing, cultivating his grapevines and blueberry bushes, eating ice cream or feeding the fish with his grandkids, and, most recently blogging. 

To those who knew him best, his role as “Dad” and “PawPaw” carry the greatest impact and influence. His five children heard the gospel first from him and Marilyn, and they have each joined their dad in believing that good news: that Christ Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and was raised again, and that all who look to Jesus in faith receive eternal life as a free gift from God. David’s children treasure the knowledge that their dad’s greatest joy this side of heaven was welcoming his children (and, more recently, many of his grandchildren) into the family of faith. One of David’s last communications with his children was to spell out, “We will be together again.” David and his family joyfully anticipate following Jesus, not only into the grave, but also up from the grave and to our own upcoming bodily resurrection: “knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence” (2 Corinthians 4:14). Everyone who has interacted with David through these past four years of illness has been privileged to witness Jesus’ faithfulness to David both in seasons of abundance and in suffering, as well as David’s faithfulness to his Lord Jesus. As sorrowful yet rejoicing, we expectantly anticipate our coming reunion with our beloved Dad and PawPaw.

David leaves behind his faithful wife of 42 years, Marilyn McBride Easley; his children, Amanda Criss (Jody) of Slate Spring, MS; Ellen Wallace (Ryan) of Madison, MS; David Easley, Jr. (Taylor) of Madison, MS; Sarah Vaughan (Paul) of Cedar Bluff, MS; and Adam Easley (Shana) of Starkville, MS; his brother, Oby W. Easley, III; his sisters, Martha Harpole, Marianne Granier, and Marilyn Lambert; many beloved nieces and nephews; and 13 very well-loved grandchildren.

Visitations will be Monday, November 6, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, MS and Tuesday, November 7, 2023 from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS. Funeral service will be Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS, and burial will follow at Memorial Garden Park Cemetery in Starkville, MS.

Pallbearers are David’s nephews and his nieces’ husbands: Brian Coon, David Coon, Jeffrey Coon, Richard Cross, Jake Easley, Ben Goza, Derrick Harpole, Jeff Harpole, John Lambert, Marcus McBride, and Ben Petit.

The Easley family gratefully acknowledges the love and prayers poured out for their family during recent time, a great comfort and help through David’s diagnosis and illness of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In response to your prayers, God has strengthened the Easley family to be of good courage in their sorrow: “for since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thessalonians 4:14). The family expresses deep appreciation also to North MS Home Health and Gentiva Hospice, faithful ministers of God’s mercy to the Easley family; to David’s home church, Broadmoor Baptist Church, whose faithful care for David and Marilyn has caused many thanksgivings to abound to God; to the countless caregivers who have supported and loved David and Marilyn well through the past four years, whose compassionate service made it possible for David to spend his last years at home, surrounded by family and friends; to Emmanuel Baptist Church for hosting our family for funeral services; to David’s cousins, Curtis E. Carter and David Drew Easley, for leading and playing at the Celebration of Life the hymns hand-picked by David in advance of that day; to all of you, the hundreds (likely thousands) of friends who have prayed for David and Marilyn and their family, brought food, sent encouraging text messages and cards, wept and rejoiced and remembered and shouldered the burden of sorrow, faithfully bringing David’s family before the throne of grace day by day during these past four years, thank you. We continue to welcome your prayers in the coming weeks and months. 

And to our precious Lord Jesus, who has shepherded us through the wilderness, where we have seen how the LORD our God carried us, as a man carries his son, all the way that we went until we came to this place, we love you and thank you (Genesis 48:15; Deuteronomy 1:31; Isaiah 40:11).

The family requests that donations in David’s memory be directed to the Starkville Pregnancy Care Center, P.O. Box 487, Starkville, MS 39760, a ministry about which David cared deeply, donated to personally, and asked to be supported in his memory. To leave a message for David’s family and honor his memory, please leave a comment below.