Mr. David E. Gathers, 90, of Pinebluff, North Carolina entered into eternal rest on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Ashton Health and Rehabilitation, McLeansville, North Carolina. 

David Edward Gathers August 6, 1934 – September 21, 2024

David was a stranger to no one. With his charismatic personality, he had a strong gift for communicating with everyone. He was a servant leader who blessed the lives of all he encountered.

He was born to Annie Mae and Louis Gathers, Sr. on August 6, 1934, in Freeport, New York, and was the youngest of six children. He attended the Freeport New York School System from  elementary through high school and graduated from business college.

David met the love of his life, Mazie Walker, while in high school when she made a summer trip to visit family in New York. It was love at first sight for both. They initially had a long distant  relationship which initially spanned the miles between Pinehurst, NC and Freeport, NY. Mazie moved to New York following her high school graduation. They married on August 17, 1957. David  and Mazie have been a couple for a total of seventy years, with sixty-five years of marriage. Their daughter, Crystal and son David Diamond were born of this union.

On their wedding night, David and Mazie moved into their first home in Jamacia, New York. In September of 1973, the family moved to Southern Pines, North Carolina, and built their dream  house in Pinebluff, North Carolina in 1976.

David and Mazie became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, in 1982 where they both served in church leadership positions and other various capacities. 

Dave had many entrepreneurial business ventures throughout his life and spent many years in the sales industry. In North Carolina, He was most known as a car salesman where he spent over 30 years in  that career. Upon retirement, Dave balanced out his career spending several years working as a greeter at Walmart in Aberdeen, North Carolina.

In addition to his beloved Mazie, and his late  parents, Louis and Annie Mae Gathers, David was also preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Cleveland and Lucy Walker, his siblings and their spouses, Bernice Graves  (Ben), Mabel Herbert (Kenny), Louis (Rosalie), and Henry (Catherine and Vivian) Gathers. He is survived by his sisters-in-law Lucy Davis (James), Delores Walker (Eddie), Virginia Walker  (Cleater) and his very special sister, Ada Brown (David). David leaves behind his daughter, Crystal Gathers-Whatley (Wilbert); son, David Diamond Gathers (Wilma); five grandchildren, Jocelyn  Calip (Jimmy), Joshua Clark, Nicole Gathers, Chay Gathers and Blade Gathers; two great-grandchildren, Kenneth and Emmanuel Calip; nieces Valerie Gilmore (Larry), Chinita McCoy (Stan), and Denise Hall, and his beloved fur-baby and companion Princess. He will be dearly missed by his special son, Christopher Davis (Vanessa), special daughter, Zenobia Headen (Jay), as well as  many nieces, nephews, cousins, family members and friends.

Please keep the family and friends of Mr. David E. Gathers in your thoughts and prayers. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mr. David E. Gathers, can be made to Alzheimer's Association https://www.alz.org/ or American Diabetes Association https://diabetes.org/

Arrangements are entrusted to McLeod Funeral Home of Southern Pines, North Carolina.