Charles David Preston

Charles David Preston, 74, of Amarillo passed away on Saturday, February 9, 2019. Funeral services will be at 2:00 pm, Saturday, February 16, 2019 at LaGrone Blackburn Shaw Coulter Road Chapel with Pastor Bob Miller officiating.

David was born on June 26, 1944 in Amarillo, TX to Ernest E. "Dutch" Preston and Carmen Loretta Blanford. When David was 5, his family moved to Brownfield, TX where he met and began dating his future wife, Ruby Faye Dial. After graduating from Brownfield High School, he attended West Texas State University in Canyon, TX where he studied business and pre-law. David and Ruby married on November 28, 1964 and moved to Amarillo where he continued his studies at West Texas State while working at Amarillo National Bank.

On February 3, 1969, David welcomed the arrival of his son and only child Jared Keith Preston. In 1971, the family moved to Borger, TX where David began working for Retail Credit Company as a claims investigator and took up a new hobby, riding dirt bikes. In 1974, the family moved back to Amarillo and David began what would be a long career in insurance working for New York Life where he received several awards.

In 1981, a new chapter of his life began when he volunteered to start coaching Jared's soccer team taking a group of boys under his care and guidance. As he did with everything else in his life, he embraced this new challenge with vigor and enthusiasm as he threw himself into learning everything he could about a sport he never played. Over the next twenty years, he shared his strong convictions and knowledge with numerous young men and women on the various teams that he coached teaching them values such as dedication, effort, and teamwork.

In 2005, after thirty years of service, he retired from New York Life and started a business as an independent agent continuing to serve his many clients by providing home, auto and casualty insurance. David held various professional positions including President of the Amarillo Association of Life Underwriters and served for ten years on the Board of Directors for the Firemen's Pension Fund.

He is survived by the love of his life, Ruby; his son Jared; four grandchildren, Kiana, Alyssa, Seselly and Issac; two sisters, Peggy Shrimpton and Darla Phillips and numerous nieces and nephews.