William David Dunlap's Obituary
William David Dunlap, “David,” 86, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, June 29, 2025, after a long fight with Parkinson’s. He was born in Longview, Texas, on March 1, 1939, to Phelan and Isabelle Dunlap. He graduated from Longview High School in 1957 and attended Kilgore College and Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Longview on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 at 1:30 pm. The livestream can be joined at: https://lvfumc.org/livestream
Having been a classmate of Polly Tyson since junior high, they found themselves in the same carpool to Kilgore College wherein a relationship grew. After 2-1/2 years of dating, he finally found the nerve to propose (on a yet-undisclosed well pad somewhere in East Texas). They were married in August 1961, and enjoyed 64 years of marriage…a wonderful, extended honeymoon. Polly’s father was receptive to the proposal saying, “Good, now you can pay for her teeth.”
After marrying, David and Polly lived in Lubbock, TX for three years while Polly taught school and David attended Texas Tech and started his career. They returned to Longview in 1964 to be close to family and to make it their forever home. They raised two daughters, Angela and Becky, who were their daddy’s pride and joy…so much so that he led the Band Boosters and even volunteered as cook and chaperone at the legendary Lobo Band, Beaver’s Bend Band Camp. He attended cotillion dances and YMCA Indian Princess meetings, carpooled about a dozen kids to church choir every Sunday and taught every friend of his girls how to water ski. Any time he spent with his girls was sacred, whether shooting hoops, playing ping-pong, camping out or attending church. He absolutely adored family time.
David’s career as a purchasing agent took him from home goods and sporting goods to drill pipe and stem, working at Gibson’s Discount Center and R. Lacy Oil Company for a combined 36 years. His work life was rewarding, but not the center of his life or a defining measure.
Later in life, he and Polly were blessed to live at Lake Cherokee where, as a kid, with his best bud Jack Price, David had learned how to ski (and other mischief). David and Polly worked tirelessly at their beautiful lake home, making the landscaping a page from Southern Living. But they also found the reward of relaxation in birdwatching, sunsets, travel, and Lake Cherokee living.
With a big servant heart and enthusiastic commitment, David volunteered generously for many local organizations and his home church, First United Methodist Church (FUMC). He enjoyed serving Asbury House, Longview Community Ministries, Habitat for Humanity, LIHN, Newgate Mission and Carter Blood Bank (he was the church vampire). He also enjoyed fly fishing, golfing and was a member of the East Texas Fly Fishers, the Lake Cherokee Fishing Club, the Knife Fork & Trowel Club, and was FUMC softball team pitcher --- back in the day (Go Big Red!).
If there’s a single summation sentence for David, it is that he came to live and love and laugh and to do so abundantly. He never wanted to miss a darn thing.
David is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Janet Gillespie Thomas and Robert (Bob) Wayne Dunlap. He is survived by his wife, Polly, of Longview, his daughters Angela Martin (Tony) of Longview, TX; Becky Dennis (Gary) of Plano, TX; and his grandson, Cole Dennis of Minneapolis, MN, and many wonderful nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews who kept him amused with games and costumes and cake decorating.
We would like to thank his wonderful caregivers from LifeCare Hospice, Traci Elliott and Sandra Epps, and our devoted home health team Cindy Mahin, Cindy Evans and Amy Pittman. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Parkinson’s Foundation, First United Methodist Church of Longview, or Encephalitis411.org.
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