DAVID MANNING NUNN

1:03 am, Sunday, 08 February 2026, marks the legal time of David’s passing, the moment his bride Florence Michalene “Mickie” Nunn entered widowhood and their only child Ralph Edward “Eddie” Nunn became fatherless.

On Tuesday, 26 May 1936, David was born at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas to Pauline Manning Nunn (Ola Pauline Manning) and David Heiston Nunn. He would be their only child. His stepfather was Ralph Sylvester Hutchison; the housekeeper that helped his mom raise him, Laura Morrell. He is survived by wife, son, [brother-in-law] Daniel Beal, half-siblings and numerous cousins.

His mom and dad divorced when David was only about three years old. Around age five mom, young David and housekeeper Laura Morrell moved to Vickery—later became part of Dallas—where he would spend his childhood. His biological dad moved to Colorado and was largely absent from David’s life. Every few years David would regale family with a summer day fishing story with his dad in Colorado, where fish (likely rainbow trout) were all but jumping into the boat. David had at least three biological half-siblings. He knew two: Henry “Hank” Nunn and Sheila Nunn, both born of his father.

When he was closer to 9 than 8 years old his mom was wed to Ralph Sylvester Hutchison “Hutch”, a quiet and studious man. David declared from his deathbed what he thought of Hutch during David’s childhood: “Hutch was great!” Pauline and Hutch would not have any children together, thus David remained an only child.

As a youth he enjoyed playing baseball outside in the dirt, collecting coins and hunting with his dog Junior and his air-powered single-shot pellet gun. They would bring their small game home to mom for cooking. When not hunting he played the clarinet in the school band.

Promptly upon graduating from Hillcrest High School in Dallas he signed up for the draft and served two years in the Army. Next, he returned home and attended North Texas State University (University of North Texas as of 1988) where he earned both of his degrees, a Bachelors in Industrial Technology and Masters in Education. He was a formidable pool player in the service and carried a 200 average in bowling.

Following graduation he would begin teaching school in Dallas and met his future wife at a teachers event. He worked evenings at the Chicken Shack and would see her late at night after getting off his shift. A few years later they married.

David said, [I did what I wanted to do. I taught school.] He taught machine shop, woodshop and primarily drafting. To support a budding young family he taught by day and buttressed it with drawing templates for in-town Jorgensen Steel in the evenings. During these years he was told of an opening for a drafting teacher in a new high school in Waxahachie. He followed that lead and was hired. Soon he, Mickie and their young son moved to Maypearl, a rural neighboring town to Waxahachie. After one school year they relocated to a modest grey shingle house on a spacious corner lot in Waxahachie full of verdant St. Augustine, tall oaks and cedars. Years later, David had a flank of cedars felled just to allow more sunlight to his beloved vegetable garden–where he toiled, tending it barehanded, gloved and with a pitchfork wearing a baseball cap sometimes. It grew typical northeastern Texas veggies - okra, tomatoes, yellow crooked neck squash, mustard, peppers and a few other staples. Yearly he was rewarded with a mess of okra and sometimes a goodly lot of tomatoes, too. He truly liked eating figs though rarely had any due to the birds. He planted peach, plum, magnolia and bois d'arc trees and many flowers, too. One year, instead of topping all the stalks of okra he let a single stalk of okra keep growing. A framed picture of him holding that stalk that is almost twice his height has sat for many years on his office wall in that same shingle house.

But in that same room are two framed blown up photographs that surely meant more to David than any garden. The smaller of two was of his high school aged son standing on the shore holding ‘the thousand dollar fish’ as he’d oft refer to it. This photo represented more than just a prehistoric looking fish. David offered this trip to his son. It was not Eddie’s idea though he sure was excited about it. This was a trip of firsts for his son: if this wasn't his first it was his second time to fly alone without a guardian with him, his first time travelling via float plane, his first time in a foreign country and his first time taking a canoeing trek. He would fly quite the distance from DFW to Winnipeg via a tarmac stop at Bismarck. He would meet other scouts he would not know until he arrived. The scout base was in Bisset, Manitoba.

In the picture out to his side his son holds the fish in his hand via the thin catching line, the lure still securely set in its mouth. The slender catch spans from about his chin to waist. He is donning thin dark blue rain pants, light blue cotton t-shirt with a horizontal pattern across the chest and a light tan round floppy brimmed hat that is encircled by a dark blue stripe sandwiched between two red stripes. He was alone in a canoe when he made the catch, as he and other trekkers were awaiting the rest of the crew to arrive via float plane to commence their canoeing trek through Canadian boundary waters.

The larger photo shows his collegiate son in blue jeans, gaiters, winged black reflective lensed ski glasses and a thinsulated almost paper thin purple and blue jacket. Winds were very high as was evidenced by his blown and snow-graced hair. He was posing high up on a Taos ski slope. When speaking to Eddie, he said this or close to it, “What I think I like about that photo is your hair.”

During his twenty plus years of teaching at Waxahachie High School he taught drafting, architecture and mechanical drawing, and late in his career he even learned some AutoCAD and taught at Navarro Jr. College. In retirement he worked taking tickets at school sports events.

During Eddie’s elementary school years David and his son participated in Indian Guides. Through all these years David kept the short wooden dowel totem pole that one or both of them painted; intense hues and images saturating the dowel still pop today and remain as a spectacular physical memorial of something he and his son shared.

David became Cubmaster of Pack 681 when Eddie reached that age. Mickie was Assistant Cubmaster. David would continue on to become the Scoutmaster of Troop 233. He administered the troop and taught scouting skills such as cooking, knot tying, tent pitching, camping and camp planning and drove plenty of miles toting scouts and supplies. He sacrificed years of Monday nights in troop meetings and many weekends on campouts. Mickie sacrificed having as much time with the two main males in her life; yet, she was still supporting them along the way. One way was by sewing patches onto uniforms. Who knows how many she stitched?

Notably, he scoutmastered his son and others scouts into becoming Eagle Scouts; he took scouts from Troop 233 on a trek to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico; and he was honored to be the Scoutmaster of a group of scouts hailing from many different troops that went to the Boy Scouts National Jamboree in Ft. A.P. Hill, Virginia. As an adult he was tapped out and would become a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow. He would eventually step down as Scoutmaster but remained serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster for a while. Afterward he served even more years; eventually, after decades of service to youth in the BSA, David was bestowed the prestigious Silver Beaver Award.

Scouting teaches how to coexist with animals and domestically David had many. Firstly, they found Snowball, a stray that, after unproductive searches for her owners, permanently joined the family. She was a midsized mixed breed female with solid white curly hair with the sweetest gentlest disposition ever. She made it to Waxahachie and lived more years there. Next was a stunning female Seal Point Siamese, Suki, then a female Chocolate Point Siamese, Ming Toi that entered the young family. After the white dog passed they chose a puppy the breeder aptly named Pepper, who Mickie would rename to a long name worthy of her pedigree. But she just went by Dutchess. She was high-strung and infectious and truly was an elite show quality Dalmatian. David enjoyed tossing tennis balls to her in the backyard. He had a small building put in the backyard that Mickie used for her cattery; Russian Blues, Persians and Siamese were the main breeds. Many more cats would come along and rabbits and dogs. Later he got a miniature beagle named Tiffany that joined Dutchess. His mother and Hutch had a not-a-little-bit fat spoiled one named Cindy. But he kept this beagle very lean. There were three rabbits, too but they sadly were not long for this world.

David, Mickie and Eddie would spend time with Pauline and Hutch fishing at their house on Lake Howell in East Texas; they most commonly pulled perch, bluegill or catfish. David also enjoyed history and nature very much and with Mickie took Eddie on long road trips focused upon primarily on national parks to the west and in Colorado.

David also was a member of the Optimist Club for many years as well as the NEA (National Education Association), TSTA (Texas State Teachers Association), Dallas Coin Club, Boy Scouts of America and the Philmont Staff Association.

Eventually they chose to attend a congregation closer to home: College St. Church of Christ—relocated and renamed to Brown St. Church of Christ. David was not used to the a cappella singing when he met Mickie but warmed to it. He appreciated how the church gave so much financially to others. He appreciated the Bible classes. He enjoyed Mickie’s singing and Eddie’s piano playing.

David so loved his wife and son. He wanted to live longer. He can no longer go to them. They pray they will one day go to him in heaven to live with God forever. Moreover may God above receive the highest honor now and forever.

May ye that read this, repent and be inspired to draw close to God while still ye may.

He was preceded in death by his father of Cedaredge, Colorado & mother of Dallas, Texas; grandfather Henry Lightfoot Nunn of Nunn-Bush Shoes & grandmother Josephine Ewing; grandfather William Alvin "Billy" Manning; grandmother Ellen G. Wynn; aunt Oris Geraldine "Dendy" Manning Denham Custer; uncles Zayes Manning, James T. "Jesse" Manning & wife Nora William, Tatum Manning & wife Ora, John Garland "Fuke" Manning & wife Tamer; great aunts Ellen Manning Hux, Johnnie Wynn Nolan, and Jemima Manning Morgan; great uncles James "Jim" Manning, Issac "Ike" Manning, Riley Manning and Rodney Manning; four cousins James Becton "Jay" Manning, Wayne A. Manning, Billy Hugh "Boots or Boston" Custer, James Scott Carraway; and Kathryn Lynn Rockett; Uncle-in-law and wife Jerry & Willa Hutchison; Cousin and his wife Larry & Harriet Manning of West Monroe, LA; Cousin Shirley Custer O'Neal Waggoner & her husband Jimmy of Billings, OK & son Jake O'Neal; Janey Lou Manning Bills & her husband Stanley; cousin Gwendolyn Z. "Gwen" Manning Carraway of Shreveport, LA; cousin Peggy Joyce Manning Rockett; cousins Joyce Lynette Elkins Manning & her son Danny Wayne Manning; David’s mother-in-law and her daughter Florence Oliver (Hilliard) & Gwendolyn Edwina Oliver.

He is survived by his wife and son; cousin and husband Veradean & John Rush and children David & Stacy Rush; cousin Ronnie & Carolyn Richardson; cousins Tim, Jeff, Tony & Jane Hutchison; cousins and their families, Bill & Suzanne King, Bob & Diane King, Johnny Hutchison; cousin Judy Manning Cryer & her husband Waigne & son Jason; cousins Suwanna Higdon, Lisa Escano & Laura Marzuola of Dallas; cousin and husband Paula & Ronnie Richardson of Robiline, LA; Loni Custer of Dallas; cousin Mannie Ricardo "Ricky" Rockett; cousin Angela Nicole McDonald; cousins Deborah Ann "Debbie" Aycock, Dawn Marie Manning; cousin Bernadette "Dinky" Winters and numerous other cousins.