David Ray Lander

David Ray Lander, beloved son, brother, grandson, uncle, cousin and friend, passed away on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at the age of 30.

David was born on April 16, 1993, in Bryan, Texas and grew up in Caldwell, Texas. As a child, David was sweet and affectionate, always with a smile on his face and looking for one of his many pets to squeeze. He was the youngest of his siblings and everyone adored their sweet “Big Dave”/”King David”/”Davey-Duck”/”Day-Day”. In high school, following in the footsteps of his siblings, David did a study abroad in France, learning the language and how to perfect his parkour skills. After spending time at the University of North Texas, David worked as a coffee barista and bartender, and most recently as a research animal technician at Texas A&M University, a job he loved. In 2017, David beat the odds and overcame stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer.

David was kind, thoughtful and sensitive. He was musically gifted, and his family will always cherish the many recordings he created playing his guitar especially the classics like “Waking up Late”. David liked being outdoors, fishing with his dad, and skateboarding. When he wasn’t outside, he could often be found sketching in his journals and reading books in small coffee shops. The World Series champion Houston Astros were his favorite team and he loved watching the games with his parents. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends.

David is survived by his father and stepmother James and Sherri Lander, his mother Karen Chapman, his brother James (Laura) Lander, his sister Madeleine (Luke) Bott, his stepsister Tonya (Charles) Barnes, his stepbrother Dylan (Hayley) Brinkman, his grandparents James Lander and Miriam Jordan, and many more family members and friends. David is reunited with his grandfather Ray Jordan and his grandmother Elizabeth Lander.

A funeral service will be held for David at Hillier Funeral Home in College Station, Texas on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 1:00 pm, with a visitation on Friday evening, March 22, from 6:00-8:00 pm. All who knew David are welcome to attend.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in David’s honor to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Brazos Valley.