Dr. David John Pelletier

Dr. David John Pelletier had his final graduation on Saturday, May 11, 2024, leaving us for his eternal life with the Lord he loved and served. For years, David had the role of calling out the names of the graduating seniors at Hannibal-LaGrange University at the end of each semester. He always took time to study the list of names the night before and made phone calls if he wasn’t certain how to pronounce one. He brought this kindness and attention to detail to everything he did. His family and friends will always remember him for his humble spirit, hard work, and impeccable integrity. He lived a remarkable and selfless life of service for the Lord and for the people under his care until the very end, at age 84. David Pelletier was born to Evelyn and Lester Pelletier on December 14, 1939, in the family’s farmhouse on Hardscrabble Road in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. He was the first of five siblings. He attended a small, rural high school, graduating as one of the ten Board of Regent Scholars in the State of New York. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Union College in Schenectady, New York. David met Jane, the love of his life, at a children’s camp where they both worked one summer. They married on September 1, 1962. David then completed his Master of Divinity degree at Westminster Theological Seminary in 1965 and was ordained to the ministry in 1967. David and Jane helped start a new church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, before moving to Jeffersonville, Indiana with their two children in 1973. Over the next several years, Dad earned another master’s degree and PhD from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. During these years, he attended school by day while supporting his family by night, working in the Jeff Boat shipyards on the Ohio River. David began his teaching career as a professor at Northeastern Bible College from 1982-1986 in Essex Fells, New Jersey. He gained a reputation for his kindness, insight, and effective teaching. At this time, in addition to a very busy academic career, he also served struggling churches in the role of interim pastor, a role that he held almost continuously throughout his lifetime and brought him great satisfaction. In his quiet, humble way, he encouraged congregations to live out their faith in peace and the love of Christ. In 1986, David became a professor in the Christian Studies department of Hannibal-LaGrange University, the educational institution where he would serve for the rest of his career. He became the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, and then was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2008. He retired from HLGU in 2015 at the age of 76. In May of 2017, the Missouri Baptist Foundation honored Dr. Pelletier by naming him to the Fellowship of Christian Stewards to honor his years of sacrificial service to HLGU and the local churches where he served. Health issues required David and Jane to move to Georgia in March of 2022 to be closer to family. They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary that August at Manor Lake Assisted Living with Mike and Mary Eddy, Mike and Sue Stone, their children, and grandchildren. David is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Yvonne Monroe. He is survived by his beloved wife, Jane Elizabeth Ketchum Pelletier; his son and daughter-in-law, Sam and Wendy Pelletier; and his daughter and son-in-law, Miriam and James King. He has four grandchildren: Joshua, Lydia (married to Luis Rodriguez), Spencer, and Parker. His little great granddaughter Sophia was a constant source of delight in his final months. He is also survived by his siblings Henry Pelletier; Florence Ely, and her children Joe, Cindy, and Christy; Mary Eddy, her husband Mike, and their daughters Stacy and Aaron; and Yvonne’s daughters, Kimberly, Angela, and Leslie. A memorial service will be held at the Antioch Baptist Church in Hannibal, MO later this year (date TBD). Memorial gifts may be made in his honor to the Hannibal-LaGrange University academic scholarship fund or Antioch Baptist Church.