Daryl Chavers

There is something to be said about a life lived with a positive impact on everyone who knew them. Life, at its end, is in great deal about the relationships you forged and the people on whom you left lasting impressions. In a world of celebrity worship and emphasis on accomplishments that can be measured in likes, retweets, dollars and cents, it is easy to overlook the importance of one whose life was lived in humble service to those around them. Daryl Chavers lived such a life. It was not a life marked by the founding of a worldwide mission or the building of an empire in this world, but a life marked by quiet kindness shown to everyone he met and the emulation of Christ to friends and family. Daryl grew up the son of a World War II vet who came home and started building a better life for his family like so many of those from the Greatest Generation. His father was raised the son of a peanut farmer in Plains, GA, a place best known as the home of Jimmy Carter (Carter was a classmate of Oliver Chavers at one time). His father focused on hard work and hard discipline, and childhood punishment was doled out harshly, to a point that would likely be considered abuse by today’s standard. His childhood was split between Albertville and Luverne, AL in a time when he occasionally rode his horse to football practice and earned money working on a watermelon farm to pay for a prized 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, which was rumored to be used in shenanigans which would later inspire the television show, Dukes of Hazzard. He attended Auburn University, but was not able to complete his degree due to an illness suffered by his mother. He later returned to school and graduated with a Bachelor’s at the age of 52. After his time at Auburn he returned to Albertville, AL to marry his high school sweetheart, Melba Diane Stewart, the woman he loved completely for 43 years. In 1979, he became a father to Kyle, followed in 1982 by his son Colby, who necessitated a break from parenting until the birth of his daughter Kimberly, in 1993. Daryl modelled Christian parenting and marriage for all of his children, and did the same for many more who knew him. He broke from the fathering practices modeled for him and raised his children in in biblical love, never to anyone’s memory showing anger or acting out of anything but Christ-like behavior for his children. He also modeled for them the type of husband found in Ephesians 5, giving of himself the way Christ gave himself for the church. He faithfully served and loved Diane, and put others above himself with a humility that should be imitated by us all. He served his community as well, whether it was in the church or visiting inmates at the local jail. He worked in ministry for three decades, serving abused and neglected children as both a houseparent and in administrative roles and most recently at Ponderosa Bible Camp. In everything he did, he exhibited kindness, lived his live with honor, and strove to be an example of Christ to those he encountered. He exuded a gentle spirit, was always glad to see visitors, and maintained his sense of humor to the end of his life. By worldly standards, Daryl Chavers may have lived a life relatively inconsequential to history, but by Kingdom standards, his life had an incalculable impact on those he knew. He had an eternal impact. His obedience to Christ and submission to God’s will in this life created a ripple effect that extends in perpetuity with an importance exceeding any significance this world can offer. He will be missed, but his impact will not be forgotten. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, August 24, 2018 at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5760 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, Alabama 35967 with burial following in Memory Hill Cemetery in Albertville, Alabama. The family will receive friends Friday at Grace Presbyterian Church from 12 noon until the 2 p.m hour of service. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to: Release Time Program, c/o Ponderosa Ministry, 1018 County Road 734, Mentone, AL 359684 or Foster Care Division of Tennessee Baptist Children's Home, 1310 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027 or Grace Presbyterian Mission Fund, 5760 Gault Avenue North, Fort Payne, AL 35967. Wilson Funeral Home and Crematory of Fort Payne is in charge of arrangements.

Daryl Chavers

March 1, 1954 - August 22, 2018