David Dacus

1955 - 2020

David Dacus, 65, passed away Sunday, August 23, 2020.

Graveside services will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 28, 2020 at Westlawn Memorial Park under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger. A celebration of David's life will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, August 28,2020 at First Baptist Church of Borger with Pastor Charlie Morgan officiating. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers his memory may be honored with a gift to Snack Pak 4 Kids, (in the memo line please write Borger), 701 Park Place Ave, Amarillo, Texas 79101.

David was born May 5, 1955 in Borger, Texas to Ernest Theo Dacus and Dolly Belle McAden Dacus. He grew up in Sanford, Texas and attended school in Fritch, Texas through high school. During his high school years he became an exceptional athlete in Track and Field as well as playing both offense and defense for the football team and making all-state both directions. For many years he held the school record for longest shotput and discus throws at Sanford-Fritch High School, and he exhibited that kind of strength of body and character throughout his life. He then attended Texas Tech University on a full athletic scholarship for football until he suffered an injury that ended his football career.

After leaving Tech, he resided in Borger and attended Frank Phillips College, where one fateful day, he walked into the library and saw a beautiful blond haired, green eyed girl named Cheryl Washburn. He and Cheryl later married and opened a restaurant in Borger, Texas that grew into one of the largest and most beloved catering businesses in the Texas Panhandle. During their 35 years of marriage, they had three beautiful children together, and shared a myriad of wonderful life experiences including raising all of their children to adulthood, and traveling all the paths life took them down together until Cheryl's passing in 2013.

David was blessed enough to experience two great loves in his life, and on New Year's Eve 2015 he met a fiery, red-headed, green-eyed woman named Diane Elaine Frazier who stole his heart and became the love of his life until he departed this world. David and Diane married on June 2, 2018 in Amarillo, Texas. After they married they purchased their dream home in Borger, Texas (which fulfilled his need to tinker and fix things) and attended First Baptist Church faithfully together. They loved hosting gatherings and preparing meals for friends and family at every opportunity. David lived life as "the host with the most." David was full of life, would help anyone in need, and always did it with his signature "David Smile" and a glint of enjoyment in his eyes.

He was a prolific writer who always used fifty cent words on a twenty-five cent paper, and passed his legacy of words on to all of his children, teaching them the importance of recording life with the imagery of the mind. David was also an exceedingly talented artist who used the mediums of paint, charcoal, pencil, pen, calligraphy, and pastels to create everything from beautiful to hysterically funny works of art. He enjoyed construction and tinkering, and could fix any broken project or create anything he imagined.

David and Diane also enjoyed the RV life and all that entailed, including traveling, boating on their pontoon, and fishing. All of these life-long accomplishments brought him immense joy, but none compared to the love and fulfillment he found and shared abundantly with his family.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Cheryl Dacus; parents Ernest and Dolly Dacus; mother and father-in-loves, Bess and C. E. Washburn; son Damon Dacus; and granddaughter Violet Rios.

Survivors include his beloved wife, Diane Elaine Dacus of Borger; daughters, Angela Wakefield and husband Sam of Round Rock, Texas, Emily Dacus of Round Rock, Texas; Anissa Clary and husband Scott of Amarillo; son R.J. Jones of Amarillo; grandchildren, Aralyn, Eloria, Sterling, and Charley; mother-in-love, Bertie Frazier of Amarillo; sister Lola Burritt and husband Bobby of Rockport, Texas; numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of extended family.