David L Gaither

David Lee Gaither was born on October 19, 1926, in Washington County, North Carolina to Ruby Smallwood and David DWhitt Gaither. His mother Ruby moved the family to New York City when Mr. Gaither was 9. Mr. Gaither was a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army and served in the 370th Combat Infantry in World War II. Mr. Gaither studied at the New York Institute of Criminology (now the John Jay College of Criminal Justice) and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Thomas Edison College in New Jersey. As a young man, Mr. Gaither worked in the Civil Rights Movement, registering Black people to vote in the South. Mr. Gaither also had a distinguished career in government and social services. He served admirably as the Vice President of West Coast Operations for the United States Research and Development Corporation, where he worked with his friend and mentor Bill Hadad. Mr. Gaither served as the Director of the City of Oakland’s Community Action Program from April 1972 to July 1975, where he led anti-poverty and community engagement initiatives. While in Oakland, Mr. Gaither was a key supporter of the work of the Black Panther Party. After moving back to the East Coast, Mr. Gaither was appointed Executive Director of the Association of Neighborhood Housing Developers in New York City, in February 1978. He then became the Executive Director of the Community Action Organization of Union Township, New Jersey. Moving to the Washington, DC area in the 1980s, Mr. Gaither became a counselor in the Department of Corrections in the District, where he was a beloved guide to inmates and staff in DC’s old Lorton Prison. Mr. Gaither retired from government service in Washington, DC and spent the next several decades reading, exploring, completing crossword puzzles, and spending time with family. In 1994, Mr. Gaither married his longtime love, Ms. Ona Berkeley. They remained married until her death in 2002. David Gaither lived 97 long years. He passed from this life on April 8, 2024. Lovingly referred to as “Papa G” by adopted family, Mr. Gaither is survived by several children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and many loving friends and family.