Mr. David Eugene Tadlock's Obituary
Obituary David Eugene Tadlock
David Eugene Tadlock was born on May 2, 1943 in Farmersville, TX to James Eugene and Ruth Tadlock. He passed away after a long decline from spinal cord injury followed by a brief illness, on November 30, 2019 in Webster, TX.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Amy Katherine and his son, Bradley Scott and both of his parents. He is survived by his wife Betty L. Goodman Tadlock of 54 years, daughter Bethany Woodard, son-in-law Michael Woodard, granddaughter Ariana Woodard, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Tadlock, and her children Amber Charalampous, Tanner Charalampous and Sterling Holley. He also leaves behind his sister Bettie Chaney, nieces, nephews, uncles and aunts in the extended Tadlock family.
David was a bi-vocational Engineer and Minister. He earned a BS in Physics from North Texas State University in 1965 and was recruited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as an electronic engineer at the Manned Spacecraft Center for the Apollo program. Over the years, his work required him to serve in various capacities. He was a mechanisms engineer and hardware designer for Apollo 7, an optical engineer for the redesign of the data camera port for Skylab and a technical negotiator and avionics engineer for the integration of cargo with the Space shuttle for commercial, NASA and DOD classified payloads. He eventually became the manager of the Operational Space Systems Support Office working with a fine group of senior engineers to link the Shuttle, Space Station and other program offices to the avionics engineering portions of the Avionics Systems Division. After he retired, he wrote a chapter for a textbook on avionics safety.
After retirement from NASA, he completed the educational and service requirements leading to his ordination as an elder/minister in the Church of the Nazarene. Nothing was going to stop him from achieving that goal; he was ordained sitting on his walker the day after he had spine surgery, He enjoyed the many teaching and preaching opportunities this afforded him in his charge to share the gospel.
In his personal life, he was a kind, fun-loving, sweet man who lived out his beliefs. He would stop on the side of the road to change someone’s tire. He would work on a friend’s car. He would fix a kid’s toy or build a bunk bed. He collected hobbies like he collected Gaither Videos. To please his mom, he tried to learn the banjo; he flew remote control airplanes; he watched the stars; he loved all things music and stereo; he sang bass; he read spy novels; carved wood; debated theology; he charted and graphed and mapped everything. He could fix everything—cars, motorcycles, bicycles, lawnmowers; and hearts.
We are very grateful for all he did for our family to provide love, spiritual guidance, advice and financial security. We grieve his loss here on Earth, but are not without hope. We are secure in the knowledge that his is with Jesus in Heaven and look forward to being with him again. Thank you, David for all you are to us.
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