David Clair Luther

David Clair Luther, 83, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, passed away on October 10, 2025, at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center in Fayetteville. He was the second son born to Ivan and Viola Luther in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, on October 11, 1941.

David grew up with his siblings in Wellsboro where he enjoyed hunting and fishing on Pine Creek. As a teenager, he assisted his father, “Red”, with their family business, Luther’s Service Station, and worked at The Penn Wells Hotel. He attended Wellsboro Area High School where he enjoyed football and wrestling. Upon graduation in 1961, he joined the National Guard, serving for two years, and later transitioned to active duty service in the U.S. Army for thirty years.

He held numerous leadership positions before his final assignment as Command Sergeant Major of the 44th Medical Brigade, Fort Bragg, before retiring in 1992. He received his Associate Degree in Business Management from El Paso Community College while attending the Sergeants Major Academy in El Paso, Texas. During his years of service, he served in the Vietnam War with the 101st Airborne Division. His deployments include Operation Just Cause in Panama and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia. He served as a member of the 504th Airborne Infantry, Fort Bragg; 307th Medical Battalion, Fort Bragg; 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vietnam; 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY; U.S. Army Medical Department Activity, Würzburg, West Germany; Readiness Group, Fort Lee, VA; and Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

David’s military awards and decorations consist of the following: Army Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (4), Meritorious Service Medal (4), Overseas Service Ribbon, Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (4), Army Achievement Medal (4), Good Conduct Medal (11), Southwest Asia Service Medal with Bronze Service Star (2), Bronze Star Medal, Legion of Merit, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Master Parachutist Badge, Combat Medical Badge, and the Order of Military Medical Merit.

He married the love of his life, Jo Anne, on December 3, 1967, in Dillon, South Carolina. Together, they raised six children throughout their deployments and travels. The family finally resided in Hope Mills, North Carolina, where David continued serving Veterans at the VA Medical Center for ten years as a psychiatric nursing assistant. He later became better known as “Poppy” and spent the majority of his time sharing stories with his grandchildren, collecting ducks, and cleaning his guns. Funny, mischievous, and opinionated, Poppy was his family’s go-to for a listening ear and the best advice.

A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th, at Pinecrest Funeral Home in Hope Mills.

David was preceded in death by his wife, Jo Anne Bennett Luther; his parents, Ivan and Viola Luther; his brothers, Gary and Terry Luther; and his children, Rick Taylor and Robbie Johnston; and his beloved poodle, Jingles. He is survived by his sister, Debbie Yates of Toms River, New Jersey; his children, Jeff Johnston (Kyong Su) of Columbus, Georgia; Joni Bame (Jeff) of Claudville, Virginia; Michael Luther (Jodi) of Hope Mills, North Carolina; and Candace Royal (David) of Fayetteville, North Carolina; and his grandchildren, Casey, Naomi, Olivia, Caroline (Andrew), Kaylee, Ava, Jacob; and numerous nieces and nephews.

David’s final wishes were to have his ashes placed at Arlington National Cemetery where he will have a ceremony with full military honors at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in David's honor to St. Jude’s Children's Research Hospital at stjude.org/donate.