David Day

David Murl Day, 66, of Flippin and Searcy, AR, died on 10/16/2020, peacefully, at home, dreaming of the fishing trip he was heading out for. Born on Dec. 29, 1953 in Valparaiso, IN., the second oldest of 4 kids, David is preceded in death by his parents, Gordon Day and Margaret Day Nichols, an infant sister and two nephews. He loved God, preaching, his family, fishing, hunting, sports and would spend hours cheering or teaching his many grandkids the fine arts of tying a hook, swinging a bat, and loved to hear their names being said over the loudspeaker at events for a job well done.

A high school graduate, David played sports and intended to play through college until he decided to join the military where he became a heavy equipment mechanic and AIT instructor, he spent 13 years at Little Rock Air Force Base, as well as postings in the UK, Montana, Illinois, California and finally retiring in Alaska, before moving back to Arkansas. While in the military, David took college courses and received multiple awards with regard to his teaching abilities, his service and his willingness to do the jobs nobody else wanted. Retiring in the late 90’s, David opened a shop in Cabot, immersed himself in Little League with his sons and began welcoming grandchildren.

In the new century, always willing to answer the phone when a water line froze or a car broke down, David is remembered by his children and grandchildren as, “I gotta call dad/papa”, because they knew he’d pitch in with whatever they needed. David’s pride in his children and grandchildren was evident to those who knew him, he was always willing to talk about how well they were doing and what they’d just finished. His humor is evident in texts shared among family about fishing mishaps like hooking their kid in the head, which David himself had done to almost all of his children. His recent response to seeing a grandkid with a hook in her head was Ecclesiastes 1:9, followed by a row of emojis crying with laughter, he had a Bible verse for everything and reminded us, “Your soul is serious but the Bible isn’t something to beat you with, it’s to teach you to roll with whatever is going on, because there’s a purpose to what you’re experiencing.”. In his last years, David began to teach the Bible wherever he was asked, binging with it a sense of laughter and love for others.

Recently he was having a talk with his son in law, and stated, while discussing how to handle unbelief in the face of overwhelming testimony to God’s love and mercy and David replied, “Matthew 8:22 – But Jesus said to him, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead”, which he explained to mean, “some are looking for any reason to not serve God, so you continue to follow God the exact way you are now, staying in His word and under His will and His work will be done through you, even within the unbelievers.” And with those words, he summed up his own life, we didn’t always understand David, but we did know what he stood for and what he expected, and because of him and his unwillingness to compromise on his beliefs, his family stands as a testimony of the goodness and mercy of God.

David is survived by his wife, Terri Day; children Toby Tyler [Heather], Angela Griffith [Luke], Bill Tyler [Sherrie], Amanda Mooney, David Day and step-sons, Brad Grogan [Mandy] and Chris Grogan [Kimberly]; his sisters, Rita Nicholas and Ida Ryder; a brother, Jim Day, multiple grandchildren and a new great-granddaughter; nieces and nephews. His grandchildren will always remember the way he was eager to take them fishing, hunting, or just have them come out and spend time with him, he’ll be remembered by those who knew him best for his love of God and the Word, his willingness to discuss those things, his smile, his coffee and the way he always said, “I love you” with a big hug before you parted.

Cremation arrangements by Smith-Westbrook Funeral Home.  www.smithfamilycares.com