David Box

David Eugene Box was born on January 24, 1971, to Eugene and Mabelle Box. On September 7, 2021, Heaven gained a new meal planner, UNO player, case worker, and time keeper. David's birth parents both passed unexpectedly when he was very young. Surely they knew that he was destined to touch the hearts of many and brighten a lot of lives. At 5 years old, David came to live with his mom, Rosemary Jones, sisters, Georgeann and Mina, and brother, Bill. David found enjoyment in many of the simple things in life. This was one of his most admirable traits that hopefully will be a great lesson to everyone who knew him.

One of David's greater loves was good food. He somehow always knew what was cooking for supper and what leftovers were in the fridge for his next meal. He always paid close attention to what everyone else was eating to make sure he wasn't missing out. In his younger years, one of David's chores was to feed scraps to the chickens. The chickens got shorted a few scraps from the bowl. He was also known to have a cat snack or two through the years. Aside from chicken scraps and cat snacks, his list of favorites includes all the good comfort foods: cheeseburgers, sloppy joes, pizza, meatloaf, taco salad, ham salad, biscuits and gravy, French toast, scrambled eggs, ice cream, Reese's, soda, and sweet tea. Passing a McDonald's, Sonic, or Wendy's with David in the car was near impossible.

He loved his cats and had many favorites through the years with random, rotating names, including Easter Bunny and Buster. Even the less tame cats were comfortable around David, while they weren't around anyone else. He loved to jabber to them and scolded them when they fought, as cats often do. Cat and dog snacks were always on his gift list for birthdays and holidays, and he always made sure they were fed on time (first thing in the morning and 4 o'clock).

Keeping track of time was a classic David trait. He always had a clock or "phone" with the time and date, a calendar, and date blocks. It was tricky to know what day it really was, at times, because he switched the blocks midday to the next day's date as a part of his routine. Many likely know about David's famous 3 o'clock snack that was usually Reese's and root beer. He could take a nap and wake up at 3 o'clock on the nose to eat his snack. He remembered everyone's birthdays and made sure they got celebrated with family, good food, and gifts. A favorite holiday was April Fool's Day because he got to play a trick on everyone, but he usually caved and shared what the trick was before you figured it out. Keeping secrets was not one of his better skills.

Along with a clock, David could usually be found with a deck of UNO cards. He always sorted them in a way that made no sense to anyone but him, and knew if a card was missing. David played hundreds of UNO games with family and often won. He grumbled when receiving a "Draw 4" card, but that was nothing that couldn't be solved by a talk with Matlock, the Duke brothers, or any protagonist in his current favorite show.

Not only did David love the best foods, he also had good taste in shows and music. He loved to listen to silly songs or traditional church hymns on his CD player. He started each day with a long list of CDs that needed to be played. When he wasn't listening to music, he was watching one of his favorite shows. Barney was an early favorite, but in his adult years he loved

Many of the classics, including Little House on the Prairie, Dukes of Hazard, Matlock, Highway to Heaven, Walker Texas Ranger, 7th Heaven, and Andy Griffith. Not only did he keep track of his shows, he also knew everyone else's favorites. He knew what shows were on what days at what times, and would remind everyone to watch "you show." He knew the things that made him happy and wanted others to find the same enjoyment.

Armed with pistols in each holster and an FBI badge, David was always ready for controversy. Protecting those he loved was one of his biggest responsibilities, and there are many stories of David not allowing for the kids in his family to be reprimanded, or making sure that they got everything they wanted. He was usually working on a case with one of the characters from his shows. His most recent case was being an adoption lawyer for Wilder. He worked on the case day and night and only charged $5 and a Dairy Queen coupon, which is a very good rate compared to other lawyers.

If there was a chore he approved of, David loved to help. He often folded laundry or did other little jobs, but one of his favorites was being "#1 Egg Man" at Allen and Mina's Sunny Side Up Farm. He enjoyed gathering eggs from the conveyor belt and putting them in the trays. There's an average of around 6,000 eggs a day, so it's no small job. But David always made sure to take a break for a snack.

Family was very important to David, and everyone had a special and unique connection with him. He loved his mom and often looked up and chatted with her after she passed in 2013. Dennis and Georgeann were his "Pal" and "Buddy," and he lived the last 10 years of his life with them. He enjoyed spending time with Allen and Mina, and could always get Mina to make his favorite food. He spent a lot of time with Gerald and Abby and their children, Bryson, Chloe, and Liliana and loved being a Great Uncle. (David says the next baby is a girl.) He had a special bond with Chelsea and always looked forward to greeting her when she returned from her travels. David also loved his times with James and Jennifer and their son, Wilder. If he thought James wasn't being kind, David would grab him by the collar and say, "You be nice to her!" James' mom, Kathy, was also one of David's favorite people to spend the day with. Some of his biggest smiles came from his family members. There were also many friends who David loved as family, including his doctors and nurses. We thank Dr. Myears, Dr. Wiggins, nurse Elizabeth, and the other nurses and doctors who helped provide David with great care and helped give us so many years with him.

There are so many more memories that could be shared about David, but there is no doubt that stories will be shared for years to come. David was a special person and meant a lot to a lot of people, even those he barely knew. He had many accomplishments on this earth and spread so much joy. We may have holes in our hearts, but we know he no longer has a hole in his. We are grateful for the years we had with him, and look forward to seeing him again.

We hope that you will join us after the service at the YMCA Community Room to celebrate David's life and enjoy some of his favorite foods.