David Garland Childress

David Garland Childress passed into the hands of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, October 2, 2020. He was 73 years old.

Born and raised in Petersburg, Virginia, David was the son of the late Lloyd and Helen Childress. He graduated from Petersburg High School where he excelled on the football field and attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. As a young man, he loved to hunt and worked for Petersburg News Agency. He also volunteered for the Petersburg Rescue Squad for 12 years. Second Presbyterian Church in Petersburg was his church home until he relocated to Warner Robins. While still in Virginia, David met his best friend and soulmate, Diane, and they were married one minute after midnight on January 1, 1981. David and Diane were devoted solely to one another for over 40 years and held a very, very special bond that one could only dream of.

In December of 1983, they moved to Warner Robins so David could further a career at Brown and Williamson. He retired in January of 2000 and quickly picked up the hobbies of bulk discount shopping and cooking. David’s family labeled him a compulsive feeder because of his incessant need for everyone to eat! Everyone loved Dave’s famous barbecue and sauce and he taught his family and friends how to roast a whole hog! Another example that displayed his passion for sharing was when he drove down to Cordele every July to load up on watermelons; David always looked forward to sharing them with all of his family and neighbors each year. When he wasn’t in the kitchen or his garden, you could find him on the lake or the ocean fishing. David loved taking family and friends deep sea fishing to catch marlin and relished the time he could teach his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews the art of catching a fish. He was a faithful member of Central Baptist Church.

In March of 2009, David and his family received disheartening news of his unhealthy heart. Through the grace of God, He allowed David to be saved by means of the caring doctors at Navicent Health and Emory University Hospital. The Lord carried him through many cutting edge surgeries over the past 11 years and for that his family is forever grateful.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Beverly Childress (Mary).

Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Diane Childress; children, Eddie Oliver (Gina) and Margie Stachurski (Jerry); grandchildren, Katie Reid, Ethan Reid, Tori Oliver, Chloe Reid, Joey Oliver, Nikki Stachurski, and Kayla Stachurski; brothers, David Shultz (Dorothy) and Ken Shultz (Ann); sisters, Patti Scarlata and Ethel Peterson (Richard); 9 nieces and nephews; and 12 great-nieces and nephews.

David will lie in state at McCullough Funeral Home on Monday, October 5, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., so that friends can come to pay their last respects to David. A private funeral service for his family will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 in the chapel of McCullough Funeral Home. David will be laid to rest in Parkway Memorial Gardens afterward.

The service will be streamed live for friends via the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcculloughfuneralhome/live/.

McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.



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