Charles David Presley was born December 1, 1954, to Charles and Barbara Presley (née Clark). He was a lifelong Springfield, MO, resident graduating from Glendale Highschool in 1973. In his younger years, David was known to rebel and keep up appearances as the family jokester, and he may or may not have given a few schoolteachers a run for their money. David held a special fondness for his older sister, Phyliss, who protected and loved him despite his little-brother antics and constant pranks. In 1975, Dave married his high school sweetheart, Peggy Arnall, his one true love and the person he would spend every day with for the remainder of his life.
Dave was one of the first tradesmen in Springfield to become a Master Electrician. He was employed at Sechler Electric for over 40 years as an electrician, and probably wired many of the businesses you walk in today and likely trained many of the electricians who still work in this area. Dave also had an affinity for the funeral business and obtained his funeral directors license in his 30s, keeping it active each year since.

In 1984, Dave and Peggy welcomed their only son, Charles Adam Presley. He is their greatest achievement and the biggest light in their lives. Dave and Adam had an incredibly special relationship, and Dave was a one-of-a-kind dad. They connected spending lake days exploring Eureka Springs or Buzzard Beach; jamming to King Crimson, Nirvana, and Jimi Hendrix loud enough for the neighbors to hear; sharing their affinity for things like Caviar and pickled eggs; and inserting humor and love into every situation, even the hard ones.

Dave worked hard and played harder. He and Peggy built their dream home on Table Rock Lake and spent four decades hosting friends and family, enjoying epic parties and boat trips, and creating an unforgettable experience for anyone lucky enough to spend time there. If not at the lake, you could find Dave and Peg hanging in the "Garage Mahal," a staple on Bradley Street, drinking cold beer with either the St. Louis Cardinals or Kansas City Chiefs game on in the background. As a master griller, there was no meat Dave wasn't willing to try or cook. Dave didn't know a stranger and made friends wherever he went. He enjoyed becoming a local celebrity later in life as "Drive-By Dave", a frequent guest on The Kevin & Liz and Kevin & Chris radio shows. Drive-By Dave was a constant presence in the mornings, telling jokes, trying wild foods on air, and bringing laughs to anyone listening. After retiring, Dave and Peg continued to spend time at the lake and with friends and family, and he never missed reruns of his favorite TV shows like Twilight Zone and Perry Mason.

Dave is survived by his wife of 49 years Peggy Presley, son Adam Presley and daughter-in-law Meagan, sister Phyliss Vinyard, nephew Brent Long (Gabe), niece Leigh-Ann McGhee and Shoji (Liam, Eva), & great niece Caleese Ideker. Dave is preceded in death by his parents Charles Edward and Barbara Presley, brother-in-law Jack Vinyard, brother-in-law Stoney Glenn, nephew Mark Long, and best furry friends Lucky and Ratty.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, March 22, 2024 at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Visitation will follow until 3:00 PM.