David Shirk Wiggin, 73, of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, passed away on November 12 2013 at his home, following a long battle with cancer.  He survived three separate cancer episodes.

David was one of four children born in Anne Shirk and John David Wiggin of Glen Ridge, New Jersey.  David and his twin brother John were born on July 22, 1940 and resided in Glen Ridge for nine years.  He was a direct descendant of Thomas Wiggin (1592 – 1667), a devout Puritan, who was the first Governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire, which became the Royal Province of New Hampshire in 1741, and today is the state of New Hampshire.

In 1949 David’s family moved to Gulfstream, Florida, a small beach town fifteen miles south of Palm Beach.  He attended Gulfstream Private School near his home, Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia, The Bolles Military Academy in Jacksonville, Florida and received his BBA and master’s degrees from Memphis State University.  David was a Certified Public Accountant.

Following completion of his military service in the United States Navy and his formal education, David began his career working for Touch, Ross, Bailey & Smart, Certified Public Accountants in Memphis, Tennessee and, later, in the healthcare industry as an Executive in the field of finance.  He served for nearly twenty years as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of a large Health Maintenance Organization located in Knoxville, Tennessee.

His parents and two of his sisters, Marianne and Arlene, predeceased him, but David is survived by his wife, of more than thirty years, Judith Threatt Wiggin; his son, David Shirk Wiggin, Jr. and wife Felicia of Oakland, New Jersey; his son, John Michael Wiggin and wife Joan of Chaptico, Maryland; his daughter, Suzanne Crawford Wiggin Langlade and husband Laurent of Austin, Texas; his two closest friends, Tom and Karen Hanrahan of Annapolis, Maryland; his brother in law and sister in law, Jimmy and Jean Tesseneer of Kings Mountain, North Carolina; his twin brother John Crawford Wiggin and wife Bea of Saucier, Mississippi; his grandchildren, Christina Wiggin, Katelyn Wiggin, John Michael Wiggin, Jr., Jessica Wiggin Dugan, Michael Louis David Langlade, Sophie Langlade; his great grandson, Paxton Dugan; and his beloved Westie, Molly Wiggin.

David’s greatest love and interest in life surrounded his many years of boating activities and deep sea fishing on the Tennessee River, the Chesapeake Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and on the island of Bimini in the Bahamas where his family maintained a second home.  He cultivated these interests from his mother, Anne Shirk Till, who started the Bimini Marlin – Tuna Club, and was a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club, both located in Maryland.  He was certified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in Annapolis, Maryland to teach safe boating classes required by the Agency for newcomers to boating seeking a permit to operate boats on Maryland waters.

David was a member of Shelby Presbyterian Church where he served as a member of the Finance Committee and was a member of the Covenant Class.  He was a charter member of a group of local citizens who started the AARP Taxaide program in Cleveland County, a group of volunteers preparing income tax returns free of charge for County citizens.

FUNERAL:  Memorial services will be held at Shelby Presbyterian Church in Shelby, North Carolina on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at 2:00pm in the Sanctuary.  Dr. Luke Harkey will be officiating.  The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church in Ellis Hall.

MEMORIALS:  Memorials may be made to the Capital/Maintenance Fund of Shelby Presbyterian Church, 226 East Graham Street/ PO Box 1444, Shelby, North Carolina 28151, the Hospice Cleveland County, 951 Wendover Heights Drive, Shelby, NC 28150, or to the Cleveland County Humane Society, 1609 East Marion Street, Shelby, North Carolina 28150.

Cecil M Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family of Mr. Wiggin.

Guest Registry is available at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com