David, Henri “Hank” Francois

Henri “Hank” François David, age 80, of St. Louis passed away at home on September 2, 2022. Hank is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Mary Grace David (née Stephens), his daughters Nichole (Aaron) and Stephanie Renée David, his granddaughter Sylvia Altman, his brother Bill (Brenda), sister Liz (Matt) and his cat of 18 years, Lily. He was preceded in death by his sisters Cindy and Vicki. Beloved uncle and friend to many.

Hank was born on December 3rd, 1941 in Moberly, Mo. He lived in St. Louis for the majority of his life. His first job was selling newspapers in downtown St. Louis. As an adult he worked for 20 years at the Chrysler plant, but his real passion and gift was for sign painting, which he also taught locally for several years. Many of his signs can still be seen on windows in south St. Louis and Maplewood.

Hank enjoyed gardening in his backyard, landscaping with beautiful arrangements of his favorite flora. He placed bird feeders within his gardens where he would often be found watching the birds and other fauna. When he wasn’t gardening at home he enjoyed going to the Botanical Garden. The true nature of his heart was shown the best when with animals, where you could see the passion in his eyes for the natural world. All animals were beloved, but he specifically enjoyed spoiling his pets such as his cats. He loved fishing, especially in the company of others such as his daughters. He was always the photographer, capturing photos and video for family and friends. He had a strong interest in computers and working on website coding. He collected cameras, software and hardware because of this passion for technology both old and new. His creative side shined through in his work as a sign painter and in hobbies such as drawing and playing guitar. He loved listening to and playing music, especially that of his youth and young adulthood. He enjoyed cooking for others and learning new recipes. Throughout his life he loved cars and motorcycles, taking interest in the classics and the new. His specific sense of humor was the main constant that he took with him through all seasons of life.

Hank was a loyal friend and a beloved father who took early retirement to raise his second daughter, Stephanie, to whom he passed on his love for animals, photography, oldies music and computer technology.

Our family is grateful Hank is now at peace. He will be dearly missed.

Visitation will be held Sunday, September 11 from 4 to 8 p.m. and services will be held on Monday, September 12 at 12 noon at Kutis Funeral Home in Affton. Interment at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at 1 p.m. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Hank’s honor to the Dementia Society of America or Humane Society of Missouri.