David Nelson Grimes August 24, 1928 – April 7, 2023 David Nelson Grimes of Midland, Texas passed away at home on Good Friday, April 7, 2023.
He was born August 24, 1928, the first of four children born on Pearl Street in Paola, Kansas to Dr. Floyd J. Grimes, Sr., and Lillian Oyster Grimes.
David graduated from Paola High School in 1946, but before that, rambled Bull Creek with his brother Floyd J., worked interesting jobs, played in the band and excelled in all the high school sports, and served as bicycle messenger after school at Olathe Naval Air Station during WWII. He made life-long friends and later shared humorous tales with remarkable characters and big adventure from his Paola upbringing. To his chagrin, President Truman declined David’s written request to assist with atomic bomb testing in the South Pacific evidently preferring nuclear scientists over 16-year-old David. Undeterred, David charted a path filled with curiosity and creativity, romance, and broad interests that he pursued for the rest of his life.
