David McPherson

On Tuesday, March 31st, 2020, David McPherson, 63, passed away from a rare complication during a routine dermatological medical procedure. David was born March 20th, 1957 in Durham, North Carolina where he enjoyed a childhood filled with love from his parents, Jane and the late Dr. Harry T. McPherson, Professor Emeritus of Medicine at Duke University, and his three siblings. He attended high school at Charles E. Jordan High School and quickly became a tennis star, eventually rising to the top spot on his team. David graduated from University of Richmond in 1979 with BS in Sociology and was an active member and social chairman in Phi Gamma Delta, where he was proudly the campus representative for Stroh’s, sparking a lifetime love of sales. After graduation, he settled in Midlothian, VA. While there he began his career at Pfizer, where he worked for 30 years, showing up each day with his pressed suit, shoes freshly shined, and a crisp red tie. In his years at Pfizer, he earned countless awards and accolades for his tireless work, including being inducted into the Pfizer Hall of Fame in 2010 of which there are only a few hundred other recipients of this honor out of tens of the thousands on the sales team. After working hard each day, David committed himself to an extensive workout that usually required running at minimum 8 miles. His dedication to health was steadfast, even finding the time around weddings, birthday celebrations, and even once during an active hurricane. One of the standout milestones in David’s life was entering into a loving and caring marriage, nurtured by God, with his soulmate June McPherson in 2009. David and June celebrated a life with three children and a close circle of friends, filled with countless parties, travels and life events. The joining of their souls filled the last void in each other’s lives. From rocking in chairs listening to the waves hit the sand, watching sunrises and sunsets from the deck, walking hand-in-hand on the beach and experiencing all the romance life has to offer, June and David lived their own fairytale life. Aside from an avid love of exercise, David enjoyed traveling with close friends and family. He was blessed to retire in January 2018 and spent much of his first years of retirement abroad visiting the Caribbean, Greece, and Europe, including his homeland in Scotland. In addition to his travels abroad, David loved spending time with his wife and family at their beloved homes in Sunset Beach, NC and Bonita Springs, FL. In Florida, David finally found the time to enjoy multiples rounds of golf a week and would watch others play from their lanai that overlooked the first hole. In North Carolina, David could be seen in the wee hours of Thursday mornings walking the east end of the beach scouting for new turtle nests as part of the Sunset Beach Turtle Program. His love for the beach and philanthropy didn’t end with the turtle program, he was a member of Sunset Vision and the Bird Island Stewards program where he would lead nature walks and advocate on behalf of Sunset Vision. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting David would immediately know that the only things stronger than his work ethic were his compassion, kindness, and selflessness. He never entered a room of strangers without leaving with a group of new friends, their stories, and a cheerful smile. David was never hard to find at a party – he was always the one surrounded by a crowd, recalling stories from his recent travels and cracking a joke or two. Conversation came easily to David, and yet we find ourselves in a place where there isn’t a word that accurately describes how bright his light shone. David is cherished by his wife of 11 years, June McPherson, his three stepchildren Shaver Deyerle (Janelle), Holli Balzer (Austin), and Kati Deyerle, by his mother Jane McPherson, siblings Rhett McPherson (Elaine), Mary McNulty (Marty), Leslie Hadley (Mark), his nieces and nephews Spencer, Harrison, Gavin, and Olivia. David is also survived by his first grandson Wade. He was so excited to be “Pappy” to Wade and looked forward to building sandcastles, teaching him to play tennis, and riding around on a golf cart – laughing all the way. In lieu of flowers, we encourage everyone inspired and touched by David’s life to donate to the Sunset Beach Turtle Watch program online or by mail to: Sunset Beach Turtle Program, P.O. Box 7745, Ocean Isle, NC 28469. Due to the status of the COVID-19 virus, a celebration of David’s life will take place later this summer in Sunset Beach, NC.

David McPherson

March 20, 1957 - March 31, 2020