David Edwin Emerson

David Edwin Emerson, 91, of Amarillo, Texas passed away on July 27, 2023, after a long battle with dementia.

Services will be at 1:00 P.M., Monday, August 7, 2023, in the Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel.

Burial

will be at Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

David was born on May 15, 1932, in Checotah, Oklahoma. He graduated from high school in Checotah, Oklahoma and then went to attend college at

South

ea

stern

College on a football scholarship

and

married Ermyne Faith Snodgrass on August 21, 1953.

While in college, he was the student body president. He graduated fro

m

Southeastern

State College in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science in

Chemistry

.

After graduation, David

was drafted into the

United States Army

.

After basic training in

the A

rmy, he played football both offense and defense

for the United States Army

. After his discharge from

Army,

he and Ermyne moved back to

Amarillo,

and he worked for the U.S.

A

ir

F

orce as a civilian jet mechanics instructor.

He

later

worked as a Chemist at the Helium Research Center in Amarillo

beginning in

1957

until he retired in

19

94

.

He

was the chief of Technical and Analytical services

since 1971. David also served as the Director for Amarillo Federal Credit Union in 1980

and was on the Board of Directors for many years

.

David worked as the head of Helium Research. He held several patents in the advancement of helium.

He was a member

and

listed as a noteworthy Chemist

of

Marquis

Who’s Who in American Science. David was active in

his

church

teaching

Sunday school

,

was an elder, an

d

a deacon

at

First Christian

Church

.

He attended Grace Church for the last years of his life. David loved Jesus and served the Lord his entire life.

David owned and operated Southwest Glassblowing Laboratory from 1965-1976 and was a die-hard OU fan for life!

David was preceded in death by his daughter, Carrie Leigh Emerson; mother, Della Emerson; father,

David Ervin

Emerson; brothers, Don Emerson,

and JW Emerson; sisters, Cleo

Thompson

, and Freida

Hanna

; and son-in-law, Ben Byrd

.

He is survived by his wife, Ermyne Emerson; son, Joe Emerson

and his wife Lynn

; daughter, Sally Byrd; son, Terry Emerson; sister, Mary Ann Archer; sisters-in-law, Lois and Carol; grandchildren

,

JoLynn

(Zach), JD (Chantal), Kari (Andy),Kirbi, Kristen, Marsha, Tammy (Jimmy), Jamie (Andy);

great-

grandchildren

, Shelby, Zachary, Shadden (Yanet), Tanner, Jesseca

(Kit), Ashton, Nico, Caison, Sterling,

Sadie, Morgan, and Wyatt; great-great-grandchildren, Sabella, Oliver, Braxton, Zariah.

The family would like to thank

their

neighbors, Don and Pat, and Mickey and Joey, for taking care of our family in a time of need.

They would also like to thank

the three men that brought David home when he w

a

ndered away, and

Enhabit

Hospice for their loving care and keeping him pain free.