William David Choate, Sr. (Paw Paw) was born June 20, 1939 in Port Neches, TX, and passed away May 3, 2023 in Conroe, TX. He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Choate; and children, David, Jr. (Tiffany), Novella (Teddy), Tony (Judy), Rebecca (Dewayne), Melanie (Denny), and Stephanie (Tom); grandchildren, Trace, Jace, Kace, Jeremy (Holly), Meghan, Tony II, Macy, Lexi, Blake, Brandon, and Nikki; and great grandchildren, Bayli, Owen, Erin, and Ben. David was preceded in death by his parents, Harrison Ervin Choate & Flora May Bean Choate; two brothers and a sister.
David enlisted in the U.S. Navy and completed his training in San Diego and New York. While in the Navy, he was in dental technician school learning a trade that would impact the rest of his life. This knowledge enabled him to open his own dental lab in Orange, TX before moving to Conroe in the late 1960’s. His move to Conroe led to the opening of Choate Ceramic Lab where crowns, bridges, and cosmetic restorations were made and delivered to dentists throughout the United States. After selling the lab and retiring in 2000, David was able to enjoy his favorite hobbies including bird hunting on the family ranch in Cotulla, fishing in Port O’Connor, traveling, entertaining friends, and cooking a mean tenderloin for many family gatherings. One of his most treasured trips, and one that he spoke of often, was a world cruise he and Mary Jo took that included stops in Australia, South Pacific Islands, India, and Africa.
He came to be called “Paw Paw” by family members and friends alike. He set the “Paw Paw” bar extremely high. He always made time for his grandchildren by attending birthdays, FFA shows, military graduations, choir concerts, dance recitals, rodeos, cross country meets, track meets, baseball games, basketball games, soccer games, football games, and high school and college graduations.
Paw Paw will always be remembered for his kind and gentle spirit, his warm and welcoming smile, and his gigantic and loving heart.
Friends are invited to visit with the family at 12:30 pm on Friday, May 12, 2023 in the Chapel of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 109 N Frazier Street, Conroe, TX 77301 followed by a mass beginning at 1:30 pm with military honors being rendered. Graveside services and burial will take place at 1:00 pm on Saturday, May 13, 2023 in Cotulla West Cemetery in Cotulla, TX. Pall bearers will be Paw Paw’s grandsons.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in remembrance of William David Choate to “The Houston & Southeast Texas Alzheimer’s association”, 6055 S. Loop East, Houston, TX 77087, or online at
http://act.alz.org/goto/williamdavidchoate
Or “Sacred Heart Church Conroe Sharing His Gift Capital Campaign”, 704 Old Montgomery RD, Conroe, TX 77301, or to the charity of your choice.