David Peters remembered as friend and family man

By Kristin Edwards

David Allan Peters was a man of many faces.

First, he was a spiritual man who, with his entire family, was involved with missionary work at First Baptist Church of Huntsville.

He was also a businessman and was a co-owner of Team Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep dealerships in Huntsville and Navasota.

A member of the New Waverly Independent School District board of trustees, he was also both a friend to many Walker County residents and a loving family man.

Those who knew him, regardless of which role he played in their lives, regarded him as a good man most of all.

Peters, a 48-year-old Huntsville resident, was killed early Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle collision on state Highway 90 in Grimes County.

Funeral services will be held today at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel of Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home with burial to follow at Blackjack Cemetery.

During his life, Peters affected those around him with his personality and his will to help others.

“I’ve known David for a long time; it must be 20 years since we met the first time,” Walker County Precinct 4 Constable Gene Bartee said. “I’ve seen his involvement with numerous organizations and activities in both New Waverly and Huntsville, and I always knew him as a really upbeat person. “I had a lot of respect for him.”

Loving church, family member

According to David Valentine, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Huntsville where Peters’ entire family have been longtime members, Peters was a very devoted Christian.

“[Peters] loved his family; he loved the Lord; he loved his friends; and he was full of life,” Valentine said. “This is a real shock to all of us.”

Valentine said Peters was an extremely active member of the First Baptist Church family, and he also did everything he could at home to make sure his family could be just as involved as he was.

“One of the major things I’ve always known about him was how much he sacrificed for his family, such as when his father was fighting cancer and he spent a lot of time dealing with that and helping out,” he said. “He comes from a great family, which is typical of what you find in great people.”

In the church, Peters was involved in a number of activities and groups, Valentine said.

“He did a lot of ministry in supporting his family, in officer ministry and in working with offender family ministries,” he said. “He was just an incredible guy who I have deep, deep respect for, not just as his pastor, but also as a friend.”

According to Bartee, Peters was also a very respectable friend and fellow community model.

“Personally, we’ve been friends for a long time, and he was always a really upbeat person,” Bartee said. “He always had a smile on his face, and he could always laugh.”

Community leader

All around their community, Peters and his wife Jackie were involved in an array of activities and organizations.

“I’ve seen his contributions to the booster clubs and a lot of other school activities,” Bartee said. “I know any time his son was doing a student activity, he along with his wife and grandparents were always present.

“I know he and his wife always contributed to a lot of school organizations.”

As a one-year member of the New Waverly ISD board of trustees, Peters was seen both by his fellow board members and by NWISD Superintendent Clay Webb as an asset to the board and the students.

“He was great to work with,” Webb said. “He was positive, well-informed and helpful. He had a very business-like approach to everything, and he helped us make really good decisions for the students.

“We’re going to miss him.”

According to Webb, Peters was involved in several district projects and endeavors.

“Peters jumped right in and tried to do everything with the board,” he said. “He attended a lot of training and went above and beyond the minimum required of a new board member.

“Especially with his work on the new stadium, he was one of those rare people you always wish you could find to help you lead a school district.”

John Malak, board president, said Peters was also involved in the athletic aspects of the district.

“He had a part in coaching a football team this summer, so he was instrumental in the athletic arena,” Malak said. “His main focus was to make our school district a better place, both academically and athletically.”

Personally, Malak said Peters was an amazing person to know.

“Working with David was great, and it was a privilege to know him,” he said. “He brought great diversity to the board, and he was great friend outside of the school board.

“It’s really hard to find the right words to say.”

Admirable individual

In his work, Peters was seen as a true leader who understood and cared about those around him.

As a co-owner of Team Dodge Chrysler Jeep, Peters worked with hundreds of people in both Huntsville and Navasota.

According to Ryan Gimpel, sales manager in Huntsville who worked with him for 15 years, Peters was very personable and considerate, even as an employer.

“He was a great leader,” Gimpel said. “When he walked in the door, you knew he was the boss. But at the same time, he cared about everybody, whether they worked here or didn’t work here.

“He was probably one of the most giving persons I’ve ever known.”

For Gimpel and many others he knew, Peters was someone to trust and look up to.

“I would probably describe him like more of an uncle to me than a boss,” he said. “He was just a great guy. I will miss him dearly, and so will everyone else.”