David Evans Mumford

David Evans Mumford passed away on April 1, 2026 after a long illness. Born in Houston on December 11, 1963 to Dr. David M. and Emily Petersen Mumford, David spent all of his life in Houston, except for a special stretch of time in Alaska that he loved and often spoke about. He graduated from the Kinkaid School in 1982 and from University of Texas in 1986.

David - who at times worked under the name Yaqi - built a career in video production. He began at KTVA Channel 11 in Alaska and later worked in Houston at UT/TV Houston, Cannata Communications, and his own production company, Los Bears Production. He brought curiosity, creativity, and a distinctive perspective to everything he worked on, from documentaries and short films to an MTV pilot and commercial projects. He received many accolades for his work, including multiple WorldFest-Houston awards, a HeSCA Festival award, and a Houston International Film Festival award.

David had a quick wit, a wry sense of humor, and a way of turning even an ordinary moment into something funny. He had a deep appreciation and respect for nature and the outdoors and when he was able, found real joy and peace hiking in the mountains, exploring marble quarries, and spending time at the beach at Galveston. He loved sharing films and documentaries with the people around him—especially his nieces and nephews—and those moments meant a great deal to both him and to all of us who shared them.

Although he faced significant health challenges beginning in his early twenties, David met them with strength and resilience. He lived life on his own terms—with candor and unapologetically—and left us in the same spirit. It is in keeping with his sense of humor that he passed away on April Fool's Day. He was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.

David is survived by his sisters Anne Elise Mumford and Hudson Fuller, his dear friend Janet Benton, nephews and nieces Mimi, Hailey and Easton Matthews, and Ian and Eric Mosquin, and brother-in-law Paul Mosquin. He is also survived by many friends and cousins who were an important part of his life.

The family is especially grateful to Sandra Braham, Jazmin Mena, Racquel Morant, and Ruqayyah Ejalonibu for the kindness and care they showed David over the past year.

In keeping with David's wishes, no memorial service will be held. He would have preferred that people remember him by sharing a good meal with friends. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.