David Munzell, 81, of Brentwood, Tennessee passed away on September 6, 2023 after leading a life full of family and flying.
David was born on December 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor Day) in Springfield, Missouri, to Tony and Obie Munzell. He spent most of his childhood in Jefferson City, Missouri, and graduated in 1959 from Jefferson City High School, where he was featured on trombone in the marching band.
David graduated from the University of Illinois in 1963 and joined the Navy, reaching the rank of lieutenant as a pilot flying C-130’s in a number of roles, including transport flights during the war in Vietnam. In 1968, he served as Plane Commander of Navy Hurricane Hunters Crew 4 – the aircrews that fly into major storms to collect weather data.
After proudly serving his country for five years, David began a distinguished career with Delta Air Lines in November 1968, retiring as captain in 1997. During that time, he was based in New Orleans and lived in and around Slidell, Louisiana.
In retirement, David enjoyed taking road trips throughout Louisiana and cross country with his “biker gang” on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle or his Ural motorcycle. He also enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. Following Hurricane Katrina, he lived in Grand Prairie, Texas, and for the past several years in the Nashville area.
David is survived by his wife of 50 years, Meredith Munzell; his children, Laurie Brooks of Franklin, Tennessee, Brian (Amy) Kyhos of Chicago, and Katy (Connor) Kerr of Chicago; six grandchildren: David Brooks, Dillon Brooks, Clayton Kyhos, Isla Kerr, Finn Kerr and Scarlett Kerr; and his brother, Michael Munzell (Greg Sanborn), of Concord, California. He is preceded in death by his son-in-law, Brian Brooks, and the many dogs he loved and cared for throughout his life.
A celebration of David’s life will be held at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, 3009 Columbia Ave., Franklin, Tennessee, on September 23, at 3:00 p.m. A family visitation will begin one hour before the service.
