David John Petty, 72 years old, of Hobe Sound, FL, passed away Wednesday December 12 ^th at Hospice of the Comforter in Altamonte Springs, FL, after a courageous fight with brain cancer. Born December 21, 1945 in Providence, RI, to William Robert Petty Sr. and Helen Elizabeth "Betty" Williams Petty, he was raised in the Miami area and then Palm City, FL.

He served in the Navy from 1963 – 1969 on the USS Hornet during Vietnam. He married Martha Ruth Nuckles Petty on February 21, 1969, at First Baptist Church in Stuart, FL. He attended Martin County High School and graduated Carpentry Apprentice School as a Journeyman. He was a skilled master carpenter and worked with Martin County Schools for nearly 30 years.

He thoroughly enjoyed a good joke or prank and loved making others laugh and smile. He also enjoyed baseball, wood working, making clocks and other decorative creations, and collecting baseball cards. He was a hardworking, compassionate man who was the first to lend an ear or a hand and offer advice & guidance to anyone. He was very friendly, outgoing, and never met a stranger as he treated everyone he encountered like a good friend. He was patient, kind, and always kept a positive outlook throughout the difficulties life threw his way. He had an infectious positivity and way of motivating people to believe in themselves and not set limitations on what they could achieve. He was an amazing man who truly cared about everyone, a role model, and father figure to so many.

He was a long time resident of Hobe Sound, FL, for nearly 50 years. A loving husband, dad, grandpa, friend, and mentor to many, he is survived by his wife Martha Petty, son Douglas Petty, daughter-in-law Kat Petty, daughter Michelle Petty Stoffel, son-in-law James Stoffel, grandsons Connor Mills, Aiden Mills, & Robert Stoffel, as well as siblings Barbara Kokoska, William R. Petty, Jr., Jeanne Fisher, Judith Patterson, & Bridget Crawley and many more....nephews, nieces, cousins, friends, and loved ones whose lives he touched. He will be truly missed by so many. The world is a little dimmer now, but the heavens shine brighter with a new star to light the way from above.

Services will be held Tuesday Dec. 18 ^th at 3pm at Forest Hills Chapel & Memorial Park, 2001 SW Murphy Rd., Palm City, FL, 34990. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to services with burial immediately following services. Please visit the website for more details and feel free to share a memory or leave a message of condolence for the family using this online guestbook.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Brain Tumor Association at https://www.abta.org/ways-to-donate.