David Ernest Tellier
What do you remember about David? Share your stories and photos here, and invite others to come share their memories.
David Ernest Tellier of Hendersonville, NC passed away on Easter Sunday, April 17, 2022.
Dave was born in Warwick, RI on February 21, 1953 to Ernest Tellier and Ona (St. Jean) Tellier. An only child, Dave grew up in Coventry, RI, graduating Coventry High School in 1970. He attended University of Connecticut in Storrs where he graduated in 1974 with a degree in Political Science.
In 1978, Dave was a member of the first graduating class of the Stamford Police Academy in Stamford, CT. It was there and over the next several years as a Stamford Police Officer that Dave met his Brothers, some of whom would remain his lifelong friends.
Dave ultimately left the Force to pursue a career in carpentry and construction, designing and building additions, decks, porches, gazebos, and the occasional tree house in and around Fairfield County.
After many years in CT, Dave and his wife, Sheryl, moved to Palm Bay, FL. While living there, Dave founded a successful residential construction business, Home Doctor of Brevard Inc.
In 2011, Dave and Sheryl moved to Hendersonville, NC, where Dave continued to hone his talents. Having finally found his cabin in the woods, Dave spent many happy years putting his skills to personal use, building customized cabinetry, shelving, benches, tables, and headboards for the home he shared with Sheryl. Always a bit of a sentimental carpenter, his wood-working also extended into keepsakes like picture frames, display cases, and jewelry boxes. (For his daughter Amanda's sixteenth birthday, Dave made her a beautiful hope chest, which, years later, can be found on prominent display in her Queens, NY apartment.)
Like so much of what he built, Dave himself had a particularly 'durable' constitution. Able to withstand significant wear and tear, Dave was strong both physically and emotionally. He was tough and resilient. He was often firm and more often, remarkably hard-headed. But he was also soft-hearted. He was kind. He was funny and quick to laugh. And he was more capable than most of appreciating beauty in the world. (After all, he married Sheryl.)
But more than anything, Dave was fearless. He was the kind of guy who would run into a burning building without thinking of the flames. Like the police officer he had been, his instinct was to protect and defend. To the comfort of those he left behind, his protective nature will undoubtedly follow him into Death, where he will watch over us from above.
Dave is survived by his children, Rachel Savage (Melbourne, FL), Amanda Tellier (Arverne, NY), and Brock Tellier (Brooklyn, NY) as well as his close friends and extended family. He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 31 years, Sheryl (Wilford) Tellier.
A memorial service for Dave and his wife, Sheryl, will be held Saturday, April 30th at 11:00am at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1735 Fifth Ave. West, Hendersonville, NC 28739. For those who are unable to attend, the service will be live streamed. Please visit ShulerFuneralHome.com for the link, which will be posted shortly before the service.
Arrangements in the care of Shuler Funeral Home, Hendersonville, NC.