David Lee Durand
David Lee Durand of League City, Texas, went to be with the Lord on June 12, 2020 at the age of 73.
David was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico on March 18, 1947 to Col. William H. Durand and Carol Durand
Dave was a beloved schoolteacher who invested 48 years of his life in education teaching, loving, and encouraging young people. Dave was an all-state baseball player at Lawton High School in Oklahoma and went on to play collegiate ball at the University of Oklahoma and later Southwest Texas State. Although he would achieve a Master’s degree in Secondary Education Administration from Drake University, Dave (or “Mr. D” as he was affectionately known by many of his former students) felt his calling was in the classroom. Most of his years as a teacher were spent at Clear Creek High School and more recently at Clear Falls High School in League City. Dave’s passion for teaching students was second only to his love for his wife, his family and his devotion to following Jesus. It was at a high school summer camp in Panama City, Florida in 1999 where Dave put his faith in Jesus as his Savior and was baptized soon thereafter. Dave loved being with and serving the high school students at summer camps and it was at one of these camps where he gained his most famous nickname of “Big Daddy”. Big Daddy’s larger than life personality and his infectious smile became a light that shone the love of Jesus into the hearts of thousands of others in the years that followed.
Dave is preceded in death by his father, William H. Durand, Sr., his mother, Carol Durand, his daughter, Christa Durand, and his brother, William “Bill” Durand, Jr.
Dave is survived by his beloved wife of 38 years, Pamela Durand; his children, Justyn Durand, Blake Durand (Laura), and Logan Baranowski (Brannon); his grandchildren, Lily Baranowski, Carter Durand, Kynlee Durand, Brooks Baranowski and Callan Baranowski, along with countless other friends and family whom he lovingly referred to as his “village”.
The family will receive friends at the visitation from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, June 25, 2020 in the chapel of Crowder Funeral Home in Webster, Texas. Funeral services will be held at Crowder Funeral Home in Webster on Friday, June 26, 2020 at 11 AM.
There will be a funeral procession following the funeral to Forest Park East Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that, in honor of Big Daddy, you consider making a donation to Clear Creek Community Church and designate your gift to “Student Ministry Camps” or “Mission Trips”. Gifts can be mailed to Clear Creek Community Church, 999 Egret Bay Blvd.N., League City, TX 77573 or made online at www.clearcreek.org.
As per the Harris County face mask mandate, all guest will be required to wear a face mask to enter the funeral home.
Due to the COVID 19 public gathering restrictions, Crowder Funeral Home recommends visitors to maintain a social distance of six feet from attendees. Maximum occupancy is 125 guests. Please maintain a social distance during the visitation, while seated in the chapel and during the recessional. Your assistance during this difficult time is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Also, Crowder Funeral Home will offer the opportunity of viewing the ceremony via a private YouTube Channel. For information on how to access the ceremony online, please contact the family. Thank you.
Big daddy u were so awesome. I am glad to have as teacher. I will miss u
Dave was such a great friend when I taught at CCHS. My love and prayers are with you for God’s great comfort and peace.
We feel so privileged to have taught with Dave at CCHS!
He was so friendly and out-going! Everyone loved him!
May he rest now in the arms of JESUS!
Our prayers for comfort and peace be with Dave’s family.
Jerry & Laverne Johnson
I truly loved Dave and his positive attitude, especially around kids. I loved our talks in t the e hallways at the old Creek. RIP my friend as God has gained another angel.
Love your family! Big Daddy will always be remembered🥰
My heartfelt sorrow at the loss of Dave is nothing compared to his family’s, but knowing he is with the Lord brings comfort because we will see him again, greeting us with that huge infectious smile and laugh. I miss my friend and stories of his family and adventures; camping, grandkids, past classroom experiences, and his passion for the Ukraine.
Love to you, brother. You finished the race well. Love to your family.
-Val Marzullo
I am heart broken by the loss of one of the brightest lights to have ever shined on my life. You have been doing God’s work for 50 years and now it’s time to let God do his work on you. You can Rest In Peace now Big D. We will take it from here.
With love and admiration,
Chad Gailey
I remember David as a young boy, always smiling, running around, and a lot of fun to be around. We will miss him.
Mr. Durand. I will miss your contagious smile and attitude. Always love seeing you outside your classroom every morning and greeting everyone. I will truly miss you. I know that you are in heaven just watching over us. Be with God.
Thank you for always being the smiling face and shinning light in House 1. You always had a way of looking at the bright side of life and because of you I make sure to look at that side more often than not.
My condolences to Pam and the extended family. David was a “force of nature” that would not be ignored. His dedication to family, teaching and church made him a man that lead by example. My heart is heavy with sadness, but I know my cousin Dave is in paradise. God bless all of you!
Dave Durand I will miss your smile and hugs! You were so full of love for everyone! I’ll never forget the day I unpacked his bag after a recent hospital stay and found that Bison head hat in the bag. I thought to myself only Dave would do that. Lol. Always spreading his love and joy to others! My heart breaks for the family. I love you all so much! We were loved!!!!!
It is with great sorrow that I leave this message for Pam and the kids. First met Dave at CCHS while he taught journalism. I had never seen my son, Chad so excited to have a teacher like Dave. He shared his bright light with others everyday. To love teaching like he did is a special gift. I watched as ya’lls enthusiasm for our Lord grow and it was amazing to watch how God used you both to do his work. Dave’s love of people will live on in all of us who were blessed to know Dave and your family. May God bless you as you go through this difficult time and remember Dave left his light on in all of us. Rest In Peace Dave
Love each of you,
Deborah and Corky Cottrell
You will be missed my sweet friend. Thank you for always stopping to help. You were a joy to be around and a true man of God.
We absolutely loved David Durand!! He was bigger than life itself! He was God loving,kind,compassionate,thoughtful,happy,funny,had personality plus! I could go on and on! He was the kind of person that if he saw you standing on the side watching in, he would come over and include you in whatever was going on and make you feel important. I know this because that is what he did for me when I had the honor to serve beside him. I can be quite an introvert at times, but not when David was around.
He had a way of making me feel important. That’s a great person to be able to make you feel that way. You’ll me missed so much and I’ll never forget that smile and how much you loved the Lord. I know your Heavenly Father is giving you all the crowns you earned. David, I know our Heavenly Father is saying, “Job we’ll done my faithful servant, Job Well Done Indeed!”
Your Sister in Christ,
Terri Cashiola
We are so sorry for yoour loss. Dave was a bright light and someone you always looked forward to seeing and visiting with around CCCC. He will be greatly missed by
so many people. Prayers for peace and comfort for your family.
Jan & Joe Jordan
My thoughts and prayers are with Pam and the family. May the peace of the lord touch your hearts.
Mr. Durand was my Yearbook sponsor and teacher while I was co-editor in ’88-’89. He was the teacher I looked forward to seeing everyday. He had the gift of building confidence in his students and his smile was contagious whatever your mood. He meant a lot to me given the time he invested in me and friendship he provided. For high school students, he was a wonderful role model. I am saddened to see this and will keep his family in my prayers. I was down for my 30th reunion last year for a very quick weekend and didn’t get the chance to find out how to contact him. I was determined to see him this summer on a visit with my kids to visit friends. I’m heartbroken I missed my opportunity to catch up with him with decades having gone by. How fortunate heaven is to have you now! Until we meet again…
His kindness and smile will be missed. Sending our thoughts and prayers to his family🙏🙏🙏
Mr. Durand was my English teacher at Falls my freshman year. I was just thinking about him today and am sad to hear he passed. He was a kind man and attentive to his student’s needs. I remember reading Romeo and Juliet and Animal Farm in his class. He managed to make it engaging even at 7 am! He was always smiling and waved hello to me every time I walked past his classroom. May he rest in peace.
It’s been 4 years since Mr. D passed and I still think about him from time to time. I wish he knew what an impact he had on my life. Best teacher I ever had.