David Earl Garland

He was born November 30, 1950, in New Castle, IN, to Earl and Ellen Garland—the first child of their new family. He graduated from Charles A Beard Memorial High School in 1968 and entered the Army where he began his lifelong dream of becoming a pilot.

David flew Huey helicopters in Vietnam with the 281st AHC, a support unit for the Delta Force Special Forces. After the war, he left the Army and obtained his degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, entering the Air Force after graduating.

When cancer forced him to leave the service, he continued to fly—first for LaJet, a Texas oil company, followed by employment at Presidential Airlines where he was chief pilot, America West, US Air and American Airlines. He retired from American in 2015.

He is survived by his wife Sara; two sisters Della (Chuck) of Carthage, IN, and Sara of Lebanon, MO; a brother, Mike (Barb), of Greenfield, IN; a son in everything but the paperwork, Chris Nelson of Phoenix, AZ; stepdaughter Emilia Pechous (Rachel); Grandchildren Lily and Rayna Pechous; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife Sherry; sisters Betty and Jewel and brother Norman—children of his parents’ first marriages.

Funeral services will be held on November 22, 11 am, at Desert Cross Lutheran Church, 8600 South McClintock, Tempe, AZ.

A second service will be held in Knightstown, IN, for family and friends on December 6 at 1:00 pm at Bethel Presbyterian Church, 112 South Franklin Street.

Interment will be in Glen Cove Cemetery in Knightstown.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

the MDS Foundation; Wounded Warriors;

Tunnels2Towers; or the Knightstown American Legion.