David W. Estis

1973 - 2022

August 14, 1973 - November 3, 2022 On November 3, 2022, after a hard fight with cancer of the brain, our beloved David Estis passed away at his home in Los Angeles, CA. He was 49 years old. His wife Erika and mom Bette were at his bedside. His brother, sister-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law and close friends were with him in the weeks before his passing.

David was born on August 14, 1973 in Corpus Christi, Texas to parents Dewey and Bette Estis. He was a graduate of Flour Bluff High School in Corpus Christi, received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Texas State University in San Marcos Texas and his Master of Fine Arts (Installation Art and Photography) at Claremont Graduate University in California in 2000. He met his wife, Erika, at a party with friends; he knew that very night that she was the only one for him. They have been together since 2016 and married in 2020 in a private ceremony during the COVID Pandemic. Theirs was truly a love for the ages.

He loved his family and – for him – his friends were part of his family. They became part of his life and he always kept in touch with them. He was so proud when he was asked to become the God Father to his good friends Tommy and Tamar O'Meara's son, Daniel.

David had many passions in life and pursued them with gusto. He grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and spent most of his free time with his friends learning to skateboard and surf. He loved to surf and traveled far and wide to catch the best waves…the coast of California, the East Coast, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Bali were some of his favorite places to surf. It was very normal for him to show up at the airport with a backpack…and 2 surfboards!

He loved art and photography. Where ever he went or lived he always made sure to visit the museums, exhibits, etc. Cooking was another passion. While working on his BA he worked at a 5-star restaurant, honing his skills in the kitchen. He would go to 5-Star restaurants whenever he could.

David also had a passion for his work. He was a perfectionist, so it was the norm for him to have 10-to-12 hour work days, with long work weekends tossed in. He was at his best when creating, writing, directing, developing, leading others. He had the unique ability to combine technical and creative storytelling that enabled him to work as the Director and Creative Director in advertising, film, and visual effects; working with some of the most awarded studios and agencies around the world. He was featured in the 2020 ADAGE CREATIVE 100 as one of 10 Directors Who Are Advancing Ads, Films and Interactive Experiences. In August of 2020 David was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award for his work with Game of Thrones. Some of his clients included Apple, American Express, Coke, Mercedes-Benz USA, Nike, Nissan, Ralph Lauren, TNT, US Air Force, among many others. At the time of his passing, he was Executive Creative Director at Amazon Studios.

David was preceded in death by his father, Dewey F. Estis of Corpus Christi, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Erika (Kline) Estis, of Brooklyn, New York; his mother Bette (Miller) Estis of Austin Texas; brother and sister-in-law Dennis Dean Estis and Jessica (Hopkins) Estis and niece Lilah Estis, of Pittsburgh, PA; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins – all returned David's love in abundance.

No memorial service is planned at this time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.