David Blair Ramsey

On December 11, 2022, David Blair Ramsey passed away at his home in Wolf Laurel, NC.

Dave was born May 13, 1961 in Asheville and spent his childhood in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The close-by town of Marshall was a special place to Dave where he had great memories of numerous family events with his grandmother, parents, uncles, and many cousins. Marshall was also where his parents fell in love and were married. These tight family bonds became even more important to Dave after his father died when he was 12 years old. This tragedy had an enduring impact on Dave and was something he carried with him throughout life.

After graduating from Asheville High School in 1979, Dave attended Wake Forest University where he majored in Religious Studies. Dave served as President of the Alpha Sigma fraternity where he met many life-long friends.

After Wake Forest, Dave earned his Master’s degree from Duke Divinity School. Upon graduating, he spent the next 10 years serving as a Baptist minister in churches in Chapel Hill NC, Charlotteville VA, and Farmville VA. Concurrently, Dave worked towards his doctorate at Princeton University where he was named a Fellow in Religion and Leadership Development. Over time, Dave came to realize his extensive religious studies created more questions than answers. This ‘crisis of faith’ as he would say, led Dave to walk away from the ministry.

In the next chapter of his life, Dave built a successful career working for several leading corporations in the Tech space, including the last seven years as a principle with Amazon Web Services. He found great success at AWS and had recently been promoted to Enterprise Sales Leader.

In 2020, Dave was proud to add best-selling author to his list of accomplishments when he published his first book, “Speaking of God” – a candid and witty account of his experience tracing the journey of his own doubts and religious uncertainties.

Dave moved from his 20-year residence in Greensboro back to his Asheville roots in 2020. He cherished the majestic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the balcony of his Wolf Laurel residence and loved re-connecting with his family.

Those who knew Dave best will remember him for his genuine kindness, his immense interest in others, his many deep and lasting friendships, his loyalty to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, his passion for golf, his fervor for both “The Andy Griffith Show” and “The Office” and his deep unconditional love for his two daughters.

Dave is preceded in death by his parents Joe “Rome” Ramsey and Peggy Holland Ramsey. He is survived by his daughters, Blair Ramsey, and Sarah Ramsey; his sister Beth Ramsey Bilger, her husband Robert and their 3 children Caroline, Murphy, and Davis; his beloved girlfriend Judy Oreck; Uncles Boyce Ramsey and Donnie Ramsey; many cousins spread out across the country; and countless friends he had made throughout the course of his life. Dave will be missed by many, far and wide.

A memorial service to honor Dave’s life will be Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 1:00 PM at the Country Club of Asheville. Dave’s loved ones will gather to eat ice cream and share memories of this truly extraordinary person.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Western Carolina University where Dave funded a scholarship endowment to honor his father. This annual scholarship provides an opportunity for a deserving student from Madison County to pursue a career in education.

Contributions should be made payable to:

WCU Foundation

201 HF Robinson

1 University Drive

Cullowhee, NC 28723

“Dave Ramsey” in the memo line

Anders-Rice Funeral Home is Honored to serve the Ramsey Family.