August 31, 1937 – August 25, 2021

David T. Myles, Jr. of Friendswood, TX passed away on August 25, 2021.  He was born on August 31, 1937, in Barboursville, West Virginia to David T. Myles and Quindora McCallister Myles. 

After graduating from high school, he enrolled at nearby Marshall College in General Engineering.  During his second semester, a college advisor recommended he transfer to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia to major in a specialized Engineering Curriculum.  In the Fall of 1956, he enrolled in Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech. 

During the summer of 1958, David worked for the US Corps of Engineers at Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio.  He received  a BSEE in 1959 and accepted a job offer from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) at Langley Field, Virginia and was assigned to the Space Task Group, where he met his wife, Theresa.  They shared the same birthday and began sharing the same wedding anniversary on December 17, 1961.  He returned with his new bride to Virginia Tech the next semester and resumed post graduate work. 

After the Space Task Group relocated to Houston, David and Theresa  moved to the area in the summer of 1962.  They moved to Friendswood in 1966 after building a home.     He continued in the Space Task Group, which was an opportunity for him to participate in designing and implementing the Houston Mission Control Center Communications Systems and supporting the manned space flight work through the early Shuttle and Space Station programs.  After retirement in 1984, he accepted a job offer from IBM in 1984 as a Project Management Process Advisor, which lead to short work assignments in Australia, France, and Japan.  

David was involved in music throughout his life.  A decision to join the band in the eighth grade was the beginning for his love of music.  With the director’s guidance, he selected the trombone though his arms were not long enough at that time to reach the seventh position on the slide.  He progressed in band through high school and during his senior year was selected to play in all state band.  During high school, he began singing in his church choir and continued through his freshman year at Marshall College.  After a short stent with the Marshall College marching band, he set aside his instrumental music pursuit.  While attending Virginia Tech, he was active in the Wesley singers, an all-male chorus.  His first experience as choir director began in a small church choir in Houston after the volunteer director moved.  He continued to participate in church choir, ensembles, quartets and assumed the role as interim or full-time choir director wherever needed for several years.

After his IBM retirement, he joined the Over the Hill Gang and continued singing until his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2016.  After starting cancer treatment and being a little unsteady, he attended a performance by the group and was asked to join them with a favorite, "Peace in the Valley." He always thought of it as an appropriate finale to his music avocation.

David was preceded in death by his parents and brother, John Andrew Myles. 

He is survived by his wife, Theresa; daughter, Kelli, and husband, Paul Poncio; son, Jeff, and wife, Heidi Myles; grandchildren:  Ericka, Isaac, Addison, Pike, Star, Jade, Caitlin, Summer, and Hailey.

A service celebrating David’s life will be held at 10:00 A.M. on Monday, August 30, 2021 at the Chapel of Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, 311 N. Friendswood Dr., Friendswood, TX 77546 (281) 992-7200, with Roy Skeeter officiating.  Interment will be in Friends Cemetery, Friendswood, Texas.

Condolences may be sent to the Myles family in care of Jeter Memorial Funeral Home at www.jeterfuneralhome.com.

“I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”  John 11:25