A man of men is defined as “a superior or remarkable man who stands out from other men; a leader or exemplar for other men.” There is no better way to describe David Howe.

David Howe lived a life of leadership and left a legacy of caring. In 2008 David retired to Big Canoe, GA following a successful business career. In his retirement, he remained active contributing his sharp leadership skills and multiple talents to greatly benefit our community. David served us with his leadership in many ways including: the Pickens County Airport Authority (Chairman), Leadership Big Canoe, the Big Canoe Homeowners Association Board, North Georgia Veterans, The Board of Vets Help Vets, the Shepard’s Center Advisory Committee, the Board of Directors of Smoke Signals Community Services (Chairman), the Big Canoe Chapel Finance Committee (Chairman), and the Big Canoe Chapel Endowment Committee (Chairman). Among his talents was his beautiful singing voice, which he enjoyed lifting with the Big Canoe Chapel Men’s Chorus and the North Georgia Veteran’s Men’s Chorus. Any one of these organizations will attest to his talent, his leadership, and his enthusiasm. He is greatly missed by all.

One of David’s greatest joys was using his own airplane and flying skills to benefit others. He and his wife, Peggy Howe, were active in an organization currently called Angel Flight Soars. Angel Flight arranges free air transportation for people who lack the means to receive lifesaving medical treatment. The pilots provide their aircraft, time, and fuel to assist getting those people from their homes to various medical facilities throughout the southeast. David was honored to receive their Pilot of the Year Award for the large number of missions he had flown. Being a veteran, he found a way to serve fellow veterans through an organization called Veterans Airlift Command, which provides a similar service as Angel Flight Soars.

David loved the Big Canoe Chapel. He was seen regularly at the Chapel and was a member along with his wife, Peggy. David assisted the newly formed Fellowship Class as president and teacher, guiding this growing class with his love for the Lord. Peggy recently described David, “From the first day that I met David, he always wanted to help people.” His legacy of caring and love for the Chapel was a perfect match for the Big Canoe Chapel Endowment Committee. As Chairman of that committee, David revitalized their vision. Policies and procedures were put in place and new members added to the committee. Wanting to share his vision with others, he created a video about endowment structure explaining the benefits to the Chapel and the community for years to come.

The video superbly demonstrates the Big Canoe Chapel Endowment Fund as the perfect place to create a living legacy of caring. It details how donations made to the Big Canoe Chapel Endowment Fund remain in the fund permanently. Only the earnings are used to support projects and missions that fall outside the Chapel’s budget. The original donation continues to grow and will have a tangible impact from one generation to the next. A lasting legacy is created that preserves Big Canoe Chapel’s current and future ministry, just as it has been preserved for us. With the help of his friend, Dick Hammil, David demonstrated these difficult concepts in about 7 minutes. The video can be seen at: https://bigcanoechapel.com/giving/endowment/endowment.html.