David Richard Blackwell, 96, a lifetime resident of Granville County passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at his home surrounded by his family. He was born to the late Crawford Toy and Francis Frazier Blackwell on April 30, 1919. A graduate of Oak Hill High School in 1939, he later served on the school’s board of education. He worked as a tobacco and dairy farmer all his life and in fact still worked until recently on the dairy now owned by his son.
David was active in the life of Mountain Creek Baptist Church where he served as deacon, Sunday School superintendent, chairman of the building and grounds committee and chairman of the cemetery committee. He presently serves as a church trustee.
In the community, he worked as a member of the Mountain Creek Community Development Association. In 1983, he became a charter board member of the Cornwall Fire Department, and continued until 2014. He was also a charter member of the Cornwall First Responders Squad.
In 1941 he married Miss Pearl Gresham and they were married for fifty-five years until her death in 1996. Together they raised a son Eugene (Joy) and two daughters, Deloris Owens (John) and Joyce Cifers (Ben). David has nine grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren, a sister, Ruth Coats (Alfred) and is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. In 2002 he married Myrtie Blackwell who died in 2008. He is also preceded in death by a sister, Mary Belle Wilson.
David is known for his extensive travel to all fifty states and several foreign countries which include mission trips to Honduras, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Friday, June 5, 2015 at Mountain Creek Baptist Church by Rev. Johnny Richards. Burial will be in the Church Cemetery.
Flowers accepted or memorials may be made to Mountain Creek Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 668, Oxford, N.C. 27565, Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department in care of Mark Boyd, 9532 Cornwall Rd., Bullock, N.C. 27507, or Gideons International.
Visitation will be held Thursday evening June 4, 2015 from 6:30 – 8:30 P.m. at Eakes Funeral Home in Oxford and at other times at the home.
