David Alan Peffer

David Alan Peffer, 85, of Melfa, VA, passed away Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Onancock, VA. Born March 8, 1940, in Pittsburgh, PA, and raised in Trafford, PA, he was the only child of the late Walter Elmer Peffer and Dorothy Rapp Peffer.

Following high school, David continued his education at Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture. Soon after graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army and proudly served his country until his honorable discharge in October 1963.

David later relocated to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, where he quickly became a beloved and active member of the community. A longtime member and lay speaker at Melfa United Methodist Church, he was always willing to serve wherever he was needed. His strong faith led him to volunteer as a chaplain for the Accomack County Sheriff’s Department, where he provided spiritual guidance, counseling, and religious services to inmates. David also faithfully served the Town of Melfa for nearly two decades as an elected member of the Melfa Town Council, ensuring the voices of its residents were heard.

He put his horticulture degree to good use as the owner of Eastern Shore Nursery in Keller, VA. After several years, David sold the business and spent time enjoying life in the Sunshine State. While living in Florida, he pursued his lifelong love of drag racing and was proud to have raced on the Daytona International Speedway. In the early 1990s, David returned to the Eastern Shore and began working as Director of Building and Grounds at The Hermitage on the Eastern Shore (now Commonwealth Senior Living), where he later retired.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Drummond Peffer; daughter-in-law, Angie Ainsworth; sisters-in-law, Ruth Ann Nickerson, Stephanie Little and Beth Ostrout; granddaughters, Crystal Churchill and Julie Ainsworth; great-grandsons, Weston Churchill and Kenenth “Kenny” Kupsus; and his caregiver, Lisa Locklear. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his stepsons, Kenneth W. “K.W.” Ainsworth, Keith D. Ainsworth, and L. Brent Hart.

Funeral services will be conducted from the chapel of the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home on Monday, March 9, 2026 at 3:00 p.m., with Pastor William Jefferson officiating. Interment will follow in the Fairview Lawn Cemetery. There will be a visitation at the funeral home one hour prior to the service.

Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.

Arrangements by the Williams-Onancock Funeral Home.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David Alan Peffer, please visit our floral store.