David Allen Cornett was born into a large loving family.  He was number 10 of 11 children. This is how he learned to be the loving, caring, giving and family-oriented person. David learned how to love so many by following his mother Mammaw’s example. Everyone was always welcome at her table, there were never too many mouths to feed and everyone always had a bed in her home. David’s dad, Pappaw, held him to a high standard. Pappaw taught David the importance of honesty and integrity.

David was always a wonderful uncle to all his nieces and nephews along with any kid that needed love and attention. But the love David showed was no comparison to the love he had from the minute that he saw each of his girl’s faces. David always said that his life never really began until he became a dad. Then he found out that he was being blessed with a grandbaby. When Melissa became a mother and made him a grandpa, this created a different type of love that David was so excited about. He was determined to live until he was able to hold Mason David, and he was successful.

David was known for his sense of humor and he rarely ever called anyone by their real name; he made up nicknames for everyone like Muley, Pony girl, LeLe, T-rex, TaTa scooter trash, Oba-Day, Fuffa, Duke, Coco, and barf-a-weenie. He also had a vocabulary that was really unknown to most people. He would use words like oobie-doobie, various noises and grunts. This behavior was regular and so hilarious that Lisa and Robby convinced his friend that he had Tourette’s syndrome (even though he definitely did not).

David inherited a generous nature from his mom. He would literally give someone the shirt off his back. One time his brother Larry gave him a very special flag that was flown over a barrack in Iwo Jima, and David took the flag to the VFW in Eastland and donated it to go on display in the Post.

During his life, David worked hard beginning in the oilfield. Later in his life, he found his passion in sales. When he went to work at Austin Hardwoods, he not only found his love of sales but also, he discovered he loved the sales of exotic hardwoods. This career path took him to meet and love his customers and co-workers. During his commute to work, he would often call Lisa to inform her that he “had to take the wall to work again.”  This always told Lisa that the vehicle that he was driving had been scraped, dented and rammed into the barricades on his travels.

David also had a love of fishing, even though he never caught many fish. His normal fishing trip always had a good story, however it rarely had fish in it. David would have some kind of accident during his fishing trips. He would do things like cut his fingers, get fire ants in his pants, fall into the water and many others-most that should not be repeated.

One of David’s favorite hobbies was collecting knives. He loved all type of knives but mainly very large ones.

David’s most special times were with his family.  He loved going camping and fishing.  He loved the camping trips to Perrin Lake to watch Kevin and David Paul cook. David was known for his potato salad, and it was the absolute best! David would sit around the campfire and listen to stories, tell stories and laugh that infectious laugh.

When David returned to Hendrick Hospice in Abilene, his first request-really demand-was he wanted a Dr. Pepper. He looked at Lisa and said, “Don’t you have one in your purse?” She did not and he laughed and said well can we get one. When he got his Dr. Pepper, he savored every drink.

David always lived his life just as he wanted to: for his family, friends and mainly his daughters that he loved more than life. David’s last days were spent as he wanted them to be with his family swapping stories, laughing and dreaming of getting to see his mom, dad, sisters, brothers, nephew and all the many friends waiting for him in heaven.

David is survived by his daughters, Melissa Creamer and husband Jordyn, and Melanna Cornett of Ranger, TX; one grandson Mason Creamer; sister Laura Yager of Graham, TX; brothers, Donald Cornett of Graham, TX and Douglas Cornett of Blanket, TX; numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces & nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, F. E. and Mable Cornett; brothers, Vernon Cornett, Wallace Cornett, Edwin Cornett, Freddie Cornett and Larry Cornett; sisters, Neva Cornett-Brown and Marilyn Cornett-McCutcheon; niece Brenda Brown and nephew Jody Brusenhan.