On September 25, 1937, God blessed Freeman and Carrie Marshall with twin boys whose names were David and Issac; David being the oldest of the two. They were born and grew up in the beautiful southern city and state of Columbus, Georgia. This place was special to David, as he often talked of his native city with deep affection.

He learned the value of family life and devotion at an early age as he grew up in the warm embrace of his father and mother, along with his siblings. His parents modeled the Christian life and taught him and his siblings the way of salvation. As a youth, David believed the Gospel story and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He was baptized in the Green Hill Missionary Baptist Church, where he began his Christian journey of commitment and service.

David was an ambitious young man who exhibited traits of responsibility and duty; competencies that would be manifested throughout his professional endeavors.

His initial experience was employment at Hugh Bentley's Sport Shop in downtown Columbus. This is where he was introduced to the world of business and sales.

David was a proud graduate of the 1957 Class of Spencer High School and remained an active supporter of its alumni association.

After graduating from high school, he was drafted into the United States Army. Although the Korean Armistice Agreement ended combat on the Korean peninsula a few years earlier, the U.S. military continued to draft large numbers of men in the event hostilities were to flare up again. Fortunately, David never saw any overseas combat. He completed his active-duty military obligations and was honorably discharged from the Army in December of 1957.

However, his patriotism led him to serve in the Reserves for a number of years thereafter.

The 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v Board of Education declared that segregated public schools were unconstitutional. However, every university in the state of Georgia disavowed the ruling and remained segregated. After leaving the Army, David wanted to enroll in an integrated college. Therefore, taking advantage of the GI Bill that was available to veterans, in 1958, he enrolled in George Washington University, which was integrated and had a program that aided veterans in their enrollment.

Unfortunately, the GI Bill that was awarded him only allowed funding for one semester. Consequently, he had to seek other alternatives in his career pursuits.

Thus, David returned to Georgia, and it was in his place of nativity where he was catapulted into a prolific historic and professional career. His cognizance and concern for the Black Experience caused him to turn his energy and acumen towards improvement in life and death benefits for the African American community. As a result, he determined to commit himself to elevating Black-owned insurance companies to a level of excellence and service. So, David began a career in the life insurance industry that spanned a 50-year duration.

In the late 50's, Black insurance companies were often the only means whereby impoverished Black communities were able to obtain affordable health and life insurance. As a means of pursuing his desired career goals, David joined Afro-American Life Insurance Company, which was headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida.

His concern for the health and well-being of the disenfranchised pressed him to go door to door educating the Black community on the necessity of owning health and life insurance and providing them with an affordable plan. He committed himself to this level of door-to-door dedication throughout the southern states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

In 1969 he was transferred to Houston, Texas, to become the District Manager of Afro-American Life Insurance Company's Houston office. The great city of Houston would now become the final residence for him and his family.

It was in the late 70's when the Black Insurance Industry began to experience financial difficulties in a highly competitive market. Thus, Afro-American Life Insurance sold its practice to Universal Life Insurance Company, another Black-owned company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. During his tenure with Universal, David managed company offices in Houston and Alexandria, Virginia. In October 1981, David Marshall attended the American College of Financial Services, where he became one of the first African Americans in the state of Texas to receive the Chartered Life Underwriter Certification (CLU). This prestigious industry achievement, along with his wealth of knowledge and expertise, vaulted him to the position of Vice President and the Western Regional Agency Director in the company; an area that included Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, and California. During this time, Universal was the 4th largest African American insurance company in the nation.

In the 1990's, Black-owned insurance companies succumbed to the competitive mainstream market pressures and were dissolved out of necessity and by design.

However, David was such a well-known personality in the industry for his insurance erudition that he remained in demand as a valuable and viable entity. Therefore in 1996, David was recruited by the Landmark Life Insurance Company based in Brownwood, Texas. It was a pivotal point in his life as this was his first employment unaffiliated with the Black insurance industry.

David, as he had done in prior experiences, excelled. He proved himself to be a valuable asset in the Landmark enterprise. His efforts made Landmark a significantly more diverse company. He opened Landmark's first Houston office. He was a consistent top earner for the company, winning numerous awards. Moreover, he won the business of many African American customers and recruited many Black agents. After 54 years in the insurance industry, David Marshall retired in 2012.

David met his wife Catherine in 1966 in the glorious city of Albany, Georgia. On May 28, 1967, they were joined together in Holy Matrimony as husband and wife. The two of them enjoyed traveling, both in and out of the country. However, the joy of David's and Catherine's life was in the rearing of their three beautiful children in the heart of Third Ward, Texas; Valerie, Amelia, and David, Jr.  Perhaps, one of David Marshall, Sr's greatest joys was living long enough to see his children become successful in their own pursuits in life.

David Marshall, Sr. departed this life on Monday, January 9, 2023. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Freeman and Carrie Marshall; his sisters Susie Marshall Simpson (Samuel), Alice Marshall Robinson (Coleman), Josephine Marshall Davis (Joseph), and brother-in-law Robert Lyles (Marguerite). He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Catherine; his daughters Valerie Marshall Williams (Rev. Dr. TR Williams Sr.) of Houston, TX;  and Amelia Marshall (Daryl Waters) of New York, NY; his son David Marshall, Jr. of Bowie, MD; his sister Marguerite Lyles of Columbus, GA; his brother Issac Marshall of Columbus, GA, his grandson Kent Marshall Schaffer of New York, NY; his granddaughters Rosa Catherine Marshall and Cassandra Marie Marshall of Bowie, MD; his blended family includes granddaughter, Monique Williams, and grandsons, Ted Williams, Jr (Tarkitha), and Lance Williams (Muriel), all of Houston, TX. Others who will mourn him are his nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.