He was the beloved son of Dick and Ginny (Black) Pugh of Melbourne, FL. He was born in Chicago, IL on November 13, 1969. David grew up in Fairfax and Midlothian, VA. He was a 1988 graduate of Midlothian High School where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams. He was fortunate to have traveled the world in his lifetime with his parents.

He attended West Virginia University and Florida Institute of Technology. He was an active member of Alpha Eta Rho, International Aviation Fraternity. After receiving his degree in 1994 in Aviation Management from FIT, he moved to Chicago, IL where he was employed by United Airlines. He was a member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church in Maryville.

Dave was an avid animal lover and volunteered his time at Village Animal Hospital. His ambition was to become a veterinarian and he moved to the Knoxville area to attend the University of Tennessee. He was a firearms enthusiast and was employed by the Coal Creek Armory gun shop and shooting range where his outgoing personality earned him many friends. He never met a stranger and was affectionately known as "The Big Guy". He truly was a larger than life character and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his beloved four-legged "kids" – Husky, Abby, Belle, Prince, Elvira, Oz and Herman as well as a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.

A celebration of David's life will be held at Keller Funeral Home in Dunbar, on November 4, 2010 at 2 p.m. The family will receive visitors two hours prior to the service. The Rev. Rod Hale will officiate with special tributes offered by Rico Reardon and Beth Carroll. Burial will follow at Grandview Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in David's memory to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at www.aspca.org or call 1 800 628-0028.