David James Eller was born on March 31,1966, in Cortez, Colorado to Larry and Rosie (Roundtree) Eller, the second of three boys.

David spent his early years in Durango and then Grand Junction, but his most formative years were spent in Olathe on the small farm that their family moved to in 1978, where he lived until he left for college. It was there that he developed a knowledge and enjoyment of farming and caring for livestock. As a small child, David enjoyed spending time with his father and was always by his side asking questions. He had an insatiable curiosity and wanted to know how everything in this world worked. Larry was able to share much of his knowledge through hobbies like camping, gardening, ranching, hunting, and fishing. These, as well as many hours spent in the kitchen with his mother, Rosie, all taught David valuable life skills and the joy of family time together. At age 15, his big brother Paul helped him find a passion for reading by introducing him to Louis L'amour books. This passion continued throughout his life.

In 1982, David took his first computer class.He loved figuring out how to make this machine solve problems and be used as an educational device. David decided to see if he could inspire this same passion in elementary kids by obtaining a grant needed for an after-school computer programming class. This project was a big success, and it sparked his continued desire to help others.

In 1984, following his passion to provide the world with solutions to problems, David headed to Mesa State College in Grand Junction. He had planned to become an Aerospace Engineer, because of his love for the stars and outer space. However, in 1986 tragedy struck when the space shuttle Challenger exploded, and David felt a career in engineering was out of the question. It seemed that too many engineers were about to be out of work. This one event changed this course of his life and he eventually graduated in May 1986 with an Associates Degrees in Computer Science and Applied Math. Shortly thereafter he moved to Oklahoma where he would live for the rest of his life.

In 2004, David decided to continue his education, receiving his Bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership. One of his greatest educational feats was when he graduated from Oklahoma State University Summa Cum Laude with a master's degree in Telecommunications Management. GO POKES! He was happiest when he was learning something and enjoyed the process of obtaining his degrees. While he was able to successfully balance his obligations to his family, church and work, he decided not to pursue a doctorate because if there was one thing that he loved more than learning, it was staying married to Wanda.

In 1986, David moved to Oklahoma City and stayed for a couple of months with Wanda's brother-in-law and sister, Shawn and Dee Lewis, until he got his own apartment. Shawn and Dee became dear friends and fond memories were made over plates of pancakes on late night double dates. Their friendship continued through the years. It was during this time that David was able to use his new degree and start his first computer job in Norman. This job included a variety of customer service and computer troubleshooting aspects, both of which David loved.

In the summer of 1989, David and Wanda moved to Stillwater where David started working for Frontier Engineering as one of the initial members of their IT department. From there he went to work for Tuebner and Associates (later Esker), as a project manager in their IT department. It was with this job that he received opportunities to travel in Europe. He especially enjoyed his travels to France and Germany, and it was during this time that he found his passion for traveling. This passion was something that he shared with the whole family and was what inspired their later trips together.

Though he loved traveling, he felt that he was missing out on too much time with his family. So, in July of 1993, David went to work for Fire Protection Publications at OSU. He continued working there for the rest of his career, making friends and developing relationships with his "work family". He knew that he was well loved at work when, for his birthday, they wrapped everything in his entire office with wrapping paper. He was touched during the last months of his life by all of the love and support that was shown from his FPP family.

David felt at home in Yale and strove to make a difference in the community there. He served on the Yale library board for over a decade and helped obtain a grant to wire the library for networking and purchasing computers. He and Wanda worked together in the evenings to wire the library themselves so that the grant funds would go further. They also had a passion for the youth in the community. They were volunteer leaders of Payne County 4-H for over a decade. Their local club, Twin Mounds 4-H, was known for providing some of the best Share-The-Fun skits in the county and district. David loved 4-H and the impact that he could see that it had on kids. He loved the challenge of taking an insecure young person that feared public speaking and helping build their confidence and skills to the point that they would win public speaking awards.

On August 4, 1985, David started his walk with God and was baptized into The General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn. His parents had always encouraged their boys to believe in God, but they did not attend a church of their own. David found the church, that through the scripture answered a thought that he had wrestled with since he was a little boy. He would lay in bed at night and look out his window at the stars thinking "There must be more to life." His walk with God fulfilled the purpose of his life and became his greatest passion. In the summer of 1993, David and Wanda along with David and Julie Thompson moved their families to Yale to join Devin and Davena Greenfield as they labored to establish a church there. In the fall of 2007, David was ordained to the office of an elder. He took this labor seriously and it was of the utmost importance to him, as a result God was able to use him abundantly. David's service to God impacted the lives of so many people that were blessed to know him, and he leaves behind a legacy of faith that will impact generations to come.

David first met Wanda on a trip to Oklahoma during his final semester of college. He took note of her and by that summer, they had fallen in love. They were married on June 27, 1987, and together they were blessed with two beautiful girls, Jessica Paige and Emily Lauren. Next to being a servant of God, David was most passionate about his family. Jessica and Emily were among his greatest joys. He loved spending time with them teaching them the Faith, taking them camping at Robbers Cave, and simply helping them with homeschool and 4-H projects.

Before he and Wanda were married, he had a desire that any children they had would be homeschooled. This ended up shaping a huge part of their life, including their role as founding members of the Cimarron Valley Homeschooling Group in 1997. Through homeschooling, a more flexible schedule that accommodated travel was created for their family. This was important to them as they made it a family goal to see the contiguous 48 states. David's mother joined them in their goal and starting in 1999 and ending with their last trip in 2013, they felt blessed to meet that goal. David and Wanda later made a goal of visiting Hawaii and Alaska so that they could see all 50 states. Together they were able to make that goal a reality. David's life-long desire of seeing the northern lights in Alaska was finally realized on their trip north in 2020. The trip that would forever change them was their time spent in Hawaii, talking frequently about the amazing memories they made on the islands. David felt that Hawaii was the closest thing to paradise on this side of heaven.

As Jessica and Emily grew up and began getting married and having families, his joy was increased with the addition of Robert and David, who he considered to be his sons, and it was increased even more as grandchildren began to arrive. Some of his best days were filled with working on projects with his sons-in-law and spending time with all 5 of his grandchildren. David thoroughly enjoyed the water including water fights that involved super-soakers and launching water balloons. He also relished the opportunity to swim. Many memories were made taking his children and grandchildren to water parks and the beach.

When David lost his little brother Mark, in 2006, it had a significant impact on his life. The Lord allowed David to be visiting his mother in Colorado when she received the news. This was a very trying time, but they were able to see God's mercies and by His grace they made it through the trial. One positive outcome of this tragedy was when Mark's daughter, Anna, came to live with the family in 2014. David took Anna in as one of his own and was able to do many of the same things with her that he did with Jessica and Emily. They especially enjoyed trips that they were able to take together. Trips to Florida, Colorado, and a two-week excursion to the Great Lakes area and Canada which were highlights of their time together. However, it was their day-to-day life at home that provided the stability and love that she needed. Anna continues on as a living legacy of Uncle David and Aunt Wanda's love and care.

David and Wanda's home was filled with love, laughter and prayer. They laughed and cried together, weathered the storms of life together, traveled the world together and at the end they stayed home and took care of each other. Their home was filled with family, brethren, friends and their many "bonus kids". David was a help and a strength to so many and his legacy will live on in the lives of everyone that he touched. Much as the Apostle Paul wrote: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men… 2Cor. 3:2

Preceding him in death are his father, Larry Eller; his younger brother, Mark Eller; father and mother-in-law, Floyd and Virginia Teel.

David is survived by his wife Wanda of the home; daughters, Jessica Castor & husband Robert of Yale, OK, and Emily Kirkpatrick & husband David of Moore, OK; niece, Anna Eller of Moore, OK, grandsons, Callen, Barrett & Daniel Castor; and granddaughters, Ellison & Addison Kirkpatrick; mother, Rosie Eller of Cushing, OK; brother, Paul Eller & wife Gwenna of Colorado Springs, CO; sister-in-law, Deanna Lewis and husband Shawn of Blanchard, OK; sister-in-law, Brenda Miller and husband Curtis of Tecumseh, OK; brother-in-law, Larry Teel and wife Anna Marie of Oklahoma City, OK and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and a host of friends and brethren.