Harley David Sheets

His family will cherish his legacy as a devoted spouse, a sweet and nurturing father, and a creative and hardworking source of encouragement who was always present and ever proud of his family. His friends will remember a loyal, honest and generous lender of time, treasure and tools, who was always up for an outing, a conversation, a card game, ball game or auto race. At all things, he was gifted at winning, losing and “getting ‘em next time.”

David was born in Morgantown, WV on Sept. 20, 1956. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sylvia and Harley Sheets. David graduated from West Virginia University and was a spirited, life-long alumnus. Among his most cherished extended family are his friends from the WVU Outings Club and the WVU Howdy Club, which he helped establish in 1975. Club outings took David and friends throughout the northern United States to rock climb, hike, canoe and fish. He passed along his love of WVU Mountaineer football to many unaffiliated friends through his enthusiasm and consistent sporting of the team colors, “the old gold and blue.”

David earned a degree in landscape architecture at WVU while working in the university’s agricultural experiment station, which specialized in apple growing. In 1988 he moved to Kerrville, TX to assist with the development of a commercial apple orchard. He met Jeanne Bishop in Kerrville, and they married in 1990. Fortunately for David, he had little allegiance to any professional sports teams at the time and wholeheartedly adopted Jeanne’s Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs.

As the father to two sons, Jared and Noah, there were very few sporting events David didn’t view, church youth trips that David didn’t join, lunches that he didn’t pack, songs that David didn’t sing. He was deeply involved, gentle and kind.

David was living proof of the adage that babies and dogs are the truest judges of a true and loving character. For many of the 25 years that David worked as a land planner for Carson & Associates in Austin, he took his dog Sydney to work with him. Lately, Coco has accompanied him on miles of neighborhood trails. Through the years, David attracted a fan club of neighborhood and church youth who looked up to him for stories, demonstrations, snacks, and a safe place to sit and chat. He will be missed by The Wheel Rim Gang, his close friends and neighbors for the last 29 years.

Throughout the three years that David lived with melanoma, he was dignified, strong and free of complaints or doubts. It was not unusual for him to hum “every little thing’s gonna be alright,” or respond agreeably with “okie dokie” when asked how he felt. He found great joy in sitting field-side for Noah’s Ultimate Frisbee tournaments; working alongside Jared in the kitchen or workshop or caddying for him on the disc golf course; and enjoying an afternoon of guitar and harmonies whenever Jared’s partner, Libby, and her band, Libby and the Loveless, played a gig.

David was predeceased by his brother Gary and his father-in-law Dale Bishop.

David is survived by his wife Jeanne, sons Noah, Jared and partner Libby Hallett.

He will be missed by his sister and brother-in-law, Linda and R.C. Humphrey of Houston, his niece Amanda Botti, her husband Alex and their son Blake, and his nephew Brian.

David shared a close friendship with his mother-in-law Jackie Bishop, a relationship they each cherished. Beyond the shared laughter and favorite televised sporting events, David was skilled at crafting and repairing items around Jackie’s house and knowing just when to deliver her favorite baked goods.

He is survived by his sister-in-law Edie Bishop, his brother- and sister-in-law Mark and Alyson Bishop, and their children Jordan and Connor.

David and his family would be honored by gifts in his memory to Hospice Austin, MD Anderson Cancer Center or the Oak Hill United Methodist Church General Fund.

There will be a celebration of David’s life on Thursday, Sept. 28 at 11 a.m. at Oak Hill United Methodist Church, 7815 Hwy 290 West in Austin.