Fun, loving, energetic, caring, kind, son, brother, uncle
The youngest of four sons, David was loved and adored by his three older brothers, Trey, Billy, and Jeff and his parents and grandparents. Handsome, full of life, love, and ambition, his love for his family came before everything else.
Athletically inclined, David excelled in football and baseball, with great throwing and catching abilities. He wanted to try pitching, and he was fast, but not so accurate. As they watched him pitch, his parents, Louis and Liz, prayed that he wouldn’t hit any of the kids in the batter’s box! In high school, he became a talented and strong wrestler, winning the district championship in his weight class during his senior year. Though schoolwork was not his top priority, David was smart and made good grades.
David was also a huge animal lover, rescuing many cats and dogs. His mom and dad still have Disney Dog, one of the several rescue animals David saved and brought home.
David graduated from Klein Collins High School in 2009 and attended Blinn Junior College for a year before transferring to the University of Houston for two years, where he studied construction management. He worked for a construction firm for years, working his way up to Assistant Superintendent, where he took on the huge responsibility of supervising large worksites. Most recently, he worked in the oil field in Midland-Odessa, working 14-hour days for 14 days straight, then having two weeks off, which he used to take the eight-hour drive back home.
A confident and strong-willed young man, David was a people person and it showed in all that he did. He had pride in his appearance, keeping his athletic body in good shape. He discovered a talent for building and carpentry and made wooden outdoor furniture and wood-burned decorations.
Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter were all big days for the Salinas family-and still are. David was passionate about his big family, the huge celebrations, the big fun, and the love they all shared. For spring break, the family traveled to Florida and Disney World several times and often to Port Aransas where David fished and swam. His nieces and nephews adored their Uncle David, and the feeling was mutual. The day before David died, he spent the day fishing and swimming in Galveston with his oldest brother, Trey, and Trey’s son, Louie.
Though there was a six-year age difference, David was especially close to his older brother, Jeff, who unfortunately also had a substance use disorder. After David passed from an overdose, Jeff died exactly seven weeks later.
“Even through his active addiction struggles, David remained loving and caring, but the addiction took away the David we knew,” his mother, Liz, stated. “David changed a lot; he became unreliable, anxious, lost weight, and made bad decisions, but never stopped loving us.” His parents felt helpless, grieved for the pain he was going through, and lost sleep. Life became chaotic. They researched treatment centers, but David refused to go. They made it through day-to-day life and work, but never stopped worrying. “We miss our David, and miss his love for us, but we know we will see him again,” his parents stated.
“Since David and Jeff died, we miss them every minute of every day. It never gets better. The grief is always there and always will be. If we hadn’t loved them so much, we wouldn’t grieve. Our lives are forever changed. Our hearts are saddened by their unrealized dreams and the potential they had for a happy life,” their parents stated. Not being able to see their smiles, feel their hugs, hear their voices, or feel their love is hard for everyone who loves them.
David’s mother, Liz Salinas, provided the information for this narrative.
March 4, 1991-August 5, 2020-Age 29
Portrait Artist: Clayton Conner
Narrative Writer: Barbara Francois
