David Franklin Arthurs

CARY - David Franklin Arthurs went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 8th, 2020. David, age 83, passed away peacefully after a two-year battle with various heart and lung conditions. He was born on September 7th to the late Mary Agnes Gudger Arthurs and James Franklin Arthurs. He also was preceded in death by his brother, Robert. He is survived by Sylvia Arthurs, the love of his life and his wife of 59 years; daughters, Donna Hedgpeth of Sanford and Beverly Cheek (Andy) of Charlotte; and 2 loving grandchildren, Rachel and Emily Cheek. He is also survived by two half-brothers and one half-sister, Jimmy, Johnny and Anne. David was born and raised in Mooresville, NC where he met his beloved Sylvia at high school band camp. After graduation, he proudly served three years in the US Army. He later attended NC State University and studied Civil Engineering but quit school in 1960 to marry Sylvia and start his career. He served as a highway design engineer for the NC DOT and later for Thompson, Gordon, and Shook Engineering, where he earned his Professional Engineering (PE) certification at the age of 50+. He was an excellent designer, but engineering never defined his life’s greatest work. David Arthurs was a model of servanthood. He loved fishing, square dancing, and playing cards but it was always about enjoying the people he was with rather than the activities themselves. He was a longtime member of the Ruritan Club which focuses on volunteerism in the Raleigh community. He was a train host volunteer on the Carolinian, a route between Raleigh and Charlotte. He was on various neighborhood board associations, including being a “new resident” ambassador at Waltonwood up until the time of his death. David loved NC State and was an usher for football and basketball for over 50 years. As stairs became harder for him to climb, he switched to ushering NC State baseball in his later years. He was a disciple of Christ and walked his faith in everyday life. He was an extraordinarily kind man, a friend to everyone he met, hopelessly optimistic, and never had a bad word to say about anyone (other than Dean Smith (: ). He sang in the choir and served on various church boards at Longview, Trinity, and Sunrise UMC. He was a light of Christ to all three congregations and their pastors. But that light shown most brightly in his family, being the ultimate role model for his girls who he adored, mentored, and served throughout every stage of their lives. When granddaughters arrived, he poured all his energy into being the best Papa in the world. He was the ultimate girl-dad, and if you know any of his girls, you can see David’s loving spirit within them. But the jewel of his eye was Sylvia, his partner and wife whom he served for almost 60 years of marriage. It was a Christ inspired life of love, well lived. David’s family will host a celebration of life service at 2:00 pm in the chapel at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home in Raleigh, NC on Friday, August 14. COVID protocols will be followed, so please bring a mask if attending. No visitation is allowed due to the pandemic. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Sunrise United Methodist Church in Holly Springs, NC. Arrangements are by Bryan-Lee Funeral Home of Raleigh. The Memorial Service may be viewed at the link listed below: