I should have said this at David's service but wasn't prepared. So, here it goes... Hello, I am Chris' older sister, Penny's sister-in-law, David & Tyler's Aunt GiGi. I stand before you today in place of my tall-taled father Jim Connally whom we lost back in March of this year. When Chris told us he had asked Penny to marry him, we were elated! One thing about Connally men is that they are steadfast, devoted, patient & resilient to their spouses. So, if Chris knew; we knew Penny was the one for us! If you know our family, you know that mom & dad had two natural born sons and adopted me, as well as acquiring our friends and other folks to our family along the way! Chris told us that Penny had 2 young sons and that made it even more of a Special Sweet Deal! Mom & dad loved children, so needless to say; BONUS PACKAGE! Our family NEVER labeled the newly acquired members of our family...Everyone was daughter, son, grand-daughter, husband etc. We instantly fell in love with our new cousins, nephews, grandsons; David & Tyler. The more the merrier! Years went by and everyone aged, celebrated birthdays & anniversaries, but no new babies. No need for babies, to us & Chris; David & Tyler were ours whole heartedly! Watching them grow to young men was and has been such a gift! All of Chris & Penny's stories about their trials and tribulations of being parents of two adventurous boys has been such a blessing + entertaining to our family! As most families do, we grow up and out but always manage to meet in the middle. Dad passed away in March following mom's passing 2 years prior to that. Mom didn't want any kind of service and dad knew he couldn't emotionally make it thru something like that so we opted to postpone anything until after dad's passing. Of course, we did a joint memorial for both of them because they were inseparable! We had their service in May at Camp Tyler; Dad's work place stomping grounds and where Penny & Chris' story began. David was able to make it to the service, and I am so glad we got to spend time with him and get one last hug! Though only a short moment in time on that Saturday afternoon, I saw & felt David's peace with life, he seemed so be at ease with himself and was so patient with his CRA-CRA Aunt GiGi when I didn't know where to load food or to take what! I thought to myself, what an Awesome human being/young man he had grown into! It pains my heart to type this but I know Tyler, Penny & Chris need to know what a BLESSING David was/is to our family! He will be deeply, utterly missed here on earth but he will always live in our hearts & memories! -Blood doesn't make you a Connally...Love Does!!! Once a Connally, Always a Connally!!! Love Always, Aunt GiGi

I am so very thankful to have had David in my life. From the moment I met him, he was always friendly and had so much knowledge and experience that he wanted to share with others. He wanted everyone to succeed in their goals for their dogs. He was the most patient person!! He played a very large part in our dogs success in this sport and we are forever grateful. A win for us was a win for David because he put in just as much work prepping our dog. I will miss David and we will honor him by training our dogs to best of our abilities and have fun doing it. That is something David taught me, chill out and enjoy life.

I am so thankful David joined up with his father, Bob, to train dogs, giving me the oppertunity to have him in my life. His level of commitment and patience with dogs, and people, was admirable. Our little trio met twice weekly to train competition dogs for quite some time before we began adding other members. There were two periods throughout our years of training that David didn't even have a dog of his own to work however, he remained committed to those of us who did. David was present for every training and graciously met for additional training during trial season to ensure my dogs were ready for trial day. David was quite special to me. He was kind, patient, quirky, spontaneous, eclectic, talented, humorous - even when he was not attempting to be funny. David was tough as nails. He did not have a fearful bone in his body. He loved food and loved to barter. I'll miss cooking extra for David "just because". Every time I brought a meal to him at training he was surprised, his eyes lit up with true gratitude. I'll miss bartering dog training or boarding in exchange for home cooked meals, dog gear, and a little cash. I'll miss David asking me to cook something without asking me to cook. I'll miss watching David and Bob have a light bulb moment while training. I'll miss David telling Bob he was right without saying those exact words (well, you're not wrong). I'll miss his smile. I miss David.

David was such a kind soul to many. He was a face that I saw most days when I would drop off my wild gang of German shorthairs at Chappell Hill Pet resort for the past 3 years. He always went above & beyond for us! He was never annoyed with the crazy antics that these dogs gave him. At least he didn’t tell me. From climbing out of kennels to unlocking the kennel door. He would just say “I love smart dogs.” With occasional injury, he would even take them over to the vet for me. If I was strapped for time like with my son’s birthday party or a late flight home….would offer to pick them up or drop them off. He even house sat this summer for us and nursed our baby turtle back to health. He was an amazing human and we feel so blessed that we were able to know him for the past several years. He is so missed by us & our dogs.

It was always good to talk with David at our PSA club. He was very understanding and a good friend.

David was my dog Millie (a Westie) trainer. He even took Millie home with him to help her with potty training and daily activities. He would text me to check on her and was always there for whatever was needed for my dog. He truly loved what he did for a living and it showed through my Millie. Although David will be very much missed. It feels I have a part of him around always through Millie and her obedience. I pray God wraps his arms all over the family of David during this tragic time. May God bring the family peace and hope for days to come.

Jennifer,Edward&Finnegan Smith purchased River Cane Cross for David Manning

This hurts my heart! Chappell Hill Pet Resort won’t be the same. David was such a bright spot. Dutton was always ready to get out of the car and greet David … and David was also so kind and so positive and so good with Dutton and all the pups! He will be missed for sure.

Megan and Nate Whalen purchased Days Of Sunshine for David Manning

We are so sorry to hear the news of David's passing. He was such a great addition to the Chappell Hill Pet Resort team and he will be very missed by people and the dogs he cared for. He never got annoyed with all my extra instructions, and requests whenever Elvis came to visit and patiently updated me when I called to check on Elvis. Our thoughts and prayers are with David's family and friends at this time.

David was the heartbeat of our dog boarding business—steady, dedicated, and endlessly compassionate. His knowledge of dog training and canine care was unmatched, and his patience and kindness made every client feel seen, respected, and valued. He treated every pet as if they were his own and cared for our business with a level of pride and ownership that is rare and irreplaceable. To us, he was more than a manager. He was a smile and a wave as we passed each other on our way to work each morning and sometimes a shared meal or beverage after a long days work. His commitment ran deep, and his presence made our team stronger. His absence has left a hole in our hearts—one we have felt since his passing, in the stories shared by our clients that thought the world of him, and in the awareness of how much David did for our family and business. We miss him dearly. We always will.

I am so very sorry for the loss of such an amazing person. I only knew him through his work at Chappell Hill Pet Resort. You know dogs can tell a good person - and ours always relaxed when he was the one to greet us. I never worried leaving her because he had so much love for all the fur babies. What an adventurous soul he had - from reading about his travel. He made “the dash” count. Praying for all who love and miss him.

David was usually the person at work when I dropped Gus off at the kennel. Always happy to see us, quiet, unassuming and helpful. He is missed.

Mark and Sangrid Maxwell purchased Eco-Friendly Memorial Trees for David Manning