David Drew Elrod

As the son of a high school football coach his early life revolved around sports, whether watching or playing. In fifth grade, the family moved to Mt Juliet and although he wasn’t happy about it, he was quickly introduced to fishing which became a lifelong passion. He found every creek and pond within biking distance from his house and started accumulating fishing tackle for all occasions. David continued to play sports and excelled in football and basketball through high school.

In 1991, David and his dad took over a small trophy business and renamed it Extra Point Sports. This business quickly changed his life. In 1992, David went on a blind date with, Kathryne Quinn, the niece of the nearby embroidery shop owner. David and Kathryne were married two years later in 1994. They had twin sons, John and Drew, in 1998 and a third son, Sam, in 2003.

As a father, David found joy in sharing his passions with his family. He coached countless seasons of flag football and basketball, but some of the family’s favorite memories came from their weekly fishing nights during summer breaks. These evenings became a tradition, with a pizza and a tub of nightcrawlers.

As his sons got older, and their interests changed, he changed with it because what mattered most was time spent together. Every summer included a trip to Orange Beach with family and friends. This meant deep sea fishing excursions and a lasting friendship with a group of Cajuns that took David in as one of their own.

David deeply loved the Mt. Juliet community and wanted to give others the same opportunities he was given. He began coaching for his kids, but it quickly evolved into helping everyone. Between West Wilson Middle School, Providence Panthers and other teams, the number of different kids coached by David was well into the hundreds. He wanted to nurture the love of the game rather than worrying about the outcome.

David’s passion for fishing only grew as he got older. He helped start a high school fishing team because he recognized the impact fishing made on his upbringing and knew it could help someone else. He also helped launch the first MJ Fishing 4 Hope event, that raised money to support those in need in the fishing community. He knew the importance of community and spent his life contributing to it.

David is survived by his wife of 30 years, Kathryne Elrod, sons, Drew (Alexis) Elrod, John Elrod, and Sam Elrod, parents, Wes and Dona Elrod, brother, Darren (Missy) Elrod, sister, Amy (Clint) Brewer, uncle, Bill McGarry, and numerous nieces and nephews that affectionately called him “Uncle Buck”.

He is predeceased by his grandmother, Dorothy Skinner, and aunt, Sharon McGarry.

A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday January 31, 2025, from 3:30-7:00PM at the Hermitage Funeral Home, 535 Shute Lane, Old Hickory, TN, with the Celebration of Life service to follow at 7:00PM for family and close friends. For those desiring, the family suggests contributions to MJ4Hope, www.mj4hope.org