David Gaona

David Gaona, father, brother, uncle, son, and friend, was born on January 3, 1960 and passed on December 16, 2025, surrounded by his family and loved ones. His popularity was never more apparent than in his final months, when so many friends and family came to visit, sharing stories, laughing, and expressing gratitude for the role David played in their lives and the role they played in his. In typical David fashion, he did not want a traditional obituary with a list of accomplishments and a polite "he will be missed." Instead, he asked that his family focus on the real, beautiful lessons he learned in life, sharing them as his legacy.

Growing up in Roby, Texas, David shared something deep and unspoken in the kitchen with his mom, Juanita. He never needed to ask; she'd start making tortillas whenever his friends came to visit. She taught him that the simple act of feeding everyone pulled people together as nothing else could. He had dreams of someday opening a taco truck and believed that cooking for someone and sharing a meal was one of the most powerful ways to bring people together, make them feel seen, and remind them that they belonged.

David loved his children deeply and was known as "Uncle David" to their half-brother, Henry. Some of his fondest memories were taking father-daughter trips to NYC and father-son trips to Costa Rica and Mexico. He was overjoyed when Emma made him a grandfather, and loved taking her horseback riding in Santa Fe and on a Disney Cruise, their final family vacation. Through the years, he learned that some relationships outlive their original shape. Irene, his ex-wife, became one of his closest friends. They laughed and had more real conversations after the divorce than during the marriage, and when cancer took her in 2018, a piece of him went too.

For the last 25 years, he poured himself into his businesses, first One Specialty and later TreeNewal, both companies that he built from the ground up. He took enormous pride in the work, the people who did it alongside him, and the many customers who became close friends over the years. David loved the chase of a big sale and the relationships he forged along the way. Going broke taught him humility on a level most people never experience. Losing everything—and then rebuilding anyway—showed him that pride in your work matters, but pride in your character matters more. But work also took him away from his children, more than he liked—something he admitted out loud when Emma was born.

Over the years, he learned that strangers are just friends you haven't helped yet. David never met one he couldn't talk to or lend a hand to. He opened his home, his wallet, and his heart more times than anyone can count—mentoring those who needed direction, quietly providing financial support to those in need, and giving his time freely whenever someone needed a helping hand.

Above all, David learned to walk closely with God. His faith wasn't loud or showy; it was steady and real. In recent years, he grew quieter about the things of this world and more certain about the next. He often said he was ready—ready to go home, ready to see his mom and Irene again, ready to meet the Savior he'd trusted his whole life. That relationship with God gave him peace that nothing else could touch.

In the end, David figured out that a life well-lived is measured by what you give away when no one's keeping score. So don't just miss him. Live a little like him: Cook for someone who's hungry. Offer your time when it's the only thing someone needs. Help without being asked. Look for love in the most unexpected places.

A memorial service will be held from 10am-12pm on Monday, December 22, 2025, at 121 Community Church located at 2701 Ira E. Woods Ave Grapevine, TX 76051, where David was an active member. Lunch will be offered to family and friends following the memorial service.

Please consider donations to 121 Community Church or First Baptist Church of Roby in lieu of flowers.