John David Peyton

John David Peyton passed away in Houston on August 20, 2024, after a brief illness. Dave was born in Sewanee, Tennessee on June 7, 1935, to parents Ernest and Dorcas Peyton. He lived his early life in the small college town of Sewanee, enjoying all the outdoor and sports activities there.

Dave was married to Katherine Ann Waldroup of Hayesville, North Carolina shortly after they graduated from college in 1957. They lived in Florida, New Jersey, and Texas over their 60 years of marriage, years of which have been in the Memorial Forest sub-division in Houston. Kathy passed away in 2018 from the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dave was preceded in death by all six of his sisters: Pauline Ovington, Ruth Caruthers, Ernestine Hawkins, Mary Jean Diehl, Virginia Peyton, and Patty Hastings.

Survivors are daughters Jane Harrell (husband Charley), Susan Croley, and Beth King (husband John). Grandchildren are Dr. Meredith Hartman (husband Jeff), Donald Harrell (wife Rachel), Aaron Croley, Avery Croley, and Sarah King. Great-grandchildren are Hank Hartman, Jack Hartman, Cash Harrell, Elle Harrell, and Holland Harrell.

Dave graduated from the Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee as Valedictorian of the Class of 1953. His high school record earned him a full four-year academic scholarship to Duke University where he completed his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1957. Academic honors included Tau Beta Pi national engineering honorary (which he served as President of the Duke Chapter), and Pi Mu Epsilon national mathematics honorary. Leadership honors included Omicron Delta Kappa, national student leadership recognition. While working for Exxon, he completed a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Houston.

At Duke, Dave earned varsity letters in Track and Cross Country. He completed the four-year U.S. Air Force ROTC program and was elected to the Arnold Air Society. Dave graduated from Duke as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

Following graduation, Dave served three years on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a Missile Engineering Officer at Eglin AFB in Florida. He then remained on Inactive Reserve in the Air Force for nine more years with the rank of Captain.

Following Air Force duty, Dave joined Exxon in 1960 as an Engineer at the Bayway Refinery in New Jersey, the beginning of a rewarding 35-year career with Exxon. After a corporate relocation to Houston in 1967, he served in the Exxon Refining, Marine, and Marketing Departments before being named Telecommunications Manager for Exxon USA. He was later named Computing Operations Division Manager and retired as Operations Division Manager for Exxon Computing Services Company.

From 1999 to 2010, Dave and Kathy owned and managed Lighting Treasures, a custom lighting business in the Houston Design Center specializing in building and restoring lighting fixtures for the design trade and for antique dealers.

Dave was a member of Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, serving as Director of Ushers for six years. He was also active in the Memorial Forest Civic Club. He served as President for one year and as a member of the Architectural Control Committee for several years.

Dave’s primary outside interest was running and high elevation hiking/peak climbing. After buying a second home overlooking the ski slopes in Breckenridge, Colorado for retirement use, Dave and Kathy spent their summers there for ten years, Kathy watercolor painting and Dave doing high elevation hikes. When Dave “retired” from climbing the 14,000 ft. peaks at the age of 71, he had climbed 34 of the 54 fourteeners in Colorado and had logged over 110 completed summits of the fourteeners, counting multiple climbs of favorite peaks. Dave and Kathy took special pleasure in their visits with their daughters and their families, involving summer activities and skiing in the winter.

The Peyton family deeply appreciates the loving and professional home care given Dave by caregivers Gabriela Agis, Dolores Velis, and Cynthia Laster over the last 18 months of his life.

A memorial Service celebrating Dave’s life will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 9:30am at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, 12955 Memorial Drive in Houston. The burial service at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in West Houston will be private.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider donating to the Caring Forever Foundation at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church in Dave’s memory.