David Shea Teeple, Jr., 74, passed away on May 26 at Hughes Home.
A native of Washington, DC, David graduated from Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD, in 1964. He proudly served a tour of duty in the United States Army and later attended the University of Maryland before pursuing a career as an entertainer and musician. David entered the entertainment world as an actor with the British Embassy Players who performed traditional British drama and musicals to often sold-out crowds at the British Embassy. His real love, however, was music. He was a member of the Irish Breakdown and, later, Double Down, bands that headlined at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub in Old Town Alexandria, for more than twenty years. David thrived on entertaining the ever-changing audiences, tourists and regulars alike. He loved people, exuded warmth and made everyone he spoke with feel special. His bass voice was well suited to Irish ballads, and his fun-loving nature and robust sense of humor made him a crowd favorite. For many years, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were incomplete without David’s renditions of “The Unicorn” and “Danny Boy.”
David’s own family was small, but he embraced the large extended family that came with his marriage to the love of his life, Carol Ann Hyland, in 1999. David sang lullabies to the babies, played with the toddlers, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the young ones grow up. He reveled in his role as Uncle David and brought joy to every family gathering.
After retiring and moving to Fredericksburg with his wife, David sang with the St. Matthias United Methodist Church choir. Periodic visits from life-long friends Paul Craley and Tom Cozzoli always included hours playing and singing together, reprising favorites from years past. From his youth, David was an avid golfer who respected the traditions of the game and spent many happy hours on the links.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Hyland, of Fredericksburg; and his brother, Richard Teeple (Kathleen), of Delray Beach, Florida. He was preceded in death by his parents, David Shea Teeple, Sr. and Margaret Bittinger Teeple.
A memorial gathering to celebrate David’s life will be held at a future date.