David Tifton Dawsey, of Picayune, Mississippi, passed away in Picayune on October 20, 2026, just shy of his 79th birthday. He was born on October 27, 1947, in Picayune, the town that remained the setting of both his first days and his last.

David Dawsey was a brick layer and a hard worker, a man whose life had plenty of grit, and determination. The way He carried himself left an impression—hardheaded and stubborn, truly a force to be reckoned with. Those who knew him knew a man of firm ways and someone who met life on his own terms.

He liked his coffee and chewing tobacco, eating catfish and he enjoyed crabbing when he was younger. He refused to eat chicken and pitched a fit, yet somehow liked chicken livers with hot sauce. He will be remembered for his ways by those who knew him best.

He is survived by his daughter, Tiffany Marie Stevens; grandchildren, Brook Marie Stevens and Ezekiel Matthews Stevens; and numerous nephews, and nieces. 

David was preceded in death by his father, James Jefferson Dawsey and his mother, Nancy Kizzie Smith Dawsey. He was the baby of the family and the last to go. He joins his siblings: Herman Dawsey, Harold Dawsey, Hazel Johnson, Helen Spiers, Alice Smith, and Lorraine Fischer.

His family and friends will remember him as a man whose strength, hardworking nature and stubborn spirit, marked his days and shaped the way he moved through the world.

A Graveside Celebration of Life will be held at Turtle Skin Cemetery on a later date.