David Richmond Hereford

David Richmond Hereford, of Prestonsburg and Lexington, Kentucky, passed away on June 18, 2016. Born on November 3, 1933, David was the oldest son of the late Thomas and Inez May Richmond Hereford and is survived by his wife of fifty five years, Peggy Lee Parker Hereford; one son, David Richmond Hereford II, of Atlanta, Georgia; one daughter, Laura Katherine Hereford Goble (Rondal Goble, MD), of Lexington; and one granddaughter, the light of his life, Katherine Emilee Richmond Goble. David is also survived by two brothers, Thomas Hereford, of Prestonsburg, and John Hereford, MD of Kingsport, Tennessee, as well as cousin and brother of his heart, Bill Webb, of Suffolk, VA. He was a lifetime member of the Masons and a founding member of the Friends of the May House, a project very dear to him. David also proudly belonged to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, as well as Kiwanis and Jaycee clubs, and was a past chairman of the board and treasurer of the First United Methodist Church. For many years, David was the proprietor of Thomas Hereford Company, a venerated Prestonsburg tradition that provided sporting goods, firearms and even 45 r.p.m. records to generations of loyal customers.

David will be remembered most as a man who loved his family with a fire so fierce that even three oceans could not extinguish it. The fierceness of that love was evident the night Laura was ejected from the Strand Theater. He determined the best action was to go shoot out the marquee —" but only if Peggy would load the gun. Luckily, she did not. This love of family was so vast and all-encompassing it even spread to multitudes of "grandanimals", currently numbering only 11. Also, this love allowed him to embrace with joy and humor the fact that Katherine's name for him was "Grandma", beginning in her infancy and continuing all her life. David happily became known as "Grandma" to Katherine's friends and much of the Lexington community. Katherine, Laura, Davie, and Ronnie could do no wrong in his eyes.

Second only to his family, David loved his hometown of Prestonsburg and his many friends. He often recalled stories of his adventures while growing up that could make Tom Sawyer envious. As an adult, he was a familiar figure to all in the downtown area, whether behind the counter at Thomas Hereford Co., or, in later years, walking his beloved Labrador Retriever or just sitting on the front porch. He never failed to have a friendly word and a story to tell.

David will also be remembered for his love of the South and Civil War history. He had an extensive and treasured collection of memorabilia and was even known to celebrate Robert E. Lee's birthday. He was also consistent and loyal to all things he loved, including cheerios for breakfast each and every morning, and a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch each and every day at 12:00 p.m. sharp.

A Celebration of Life for David R. Hereford will be held at the Samuel May House in Prestonsburg on Wednesday, June 22 at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be Thursday at 1:00, at the First United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Jerri Williams officiating. Burial will follow at the Richmond Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Allen Bolling, Eric(Kevin) Greer, Cliff Latta, Steve Parker, David Powers, Robert Shepherd, Robert Staggs, and Joseph Vecsey. Honorary Pallbearers are Wilford Adams, David D. Allen, James Allen, Robert R. Allen, Michael Billiter, Robert Burchett, Jeff Craft, Raymond Crider, Tommy Dillon, Wynn Ford, David A. Gearheart, Donald E. Goble, Sam Hatcher, Chris Honeycutt, Paul W. Honeycutt, Rodney Holbrook, Ronald Hooker, Daryl Lyons, Christopher Schoolcraft, Mark Stephens, Burl Wells Spurlock, Thomas Tackett, and Adam Williamson, each and every one special to his life.

A second Celebration of Life for Lexington friends will be held at the Hunt-Morgan House on Friday, June 24 at 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you contribute to the Samuel May House, treasurer address 4124 Boone Creek Road, Lexington, Kentucky 40509.

Condolences may be made at www.hallfuneralservice.com