David L. Twigg

David Lynn Twigg of Cedar Creek in Aiken, SC passed away on 5/28/2024 after a yearlong battle with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Born in Cumberland, MD on July 10, 1944, the youngest of three offspring of Arley Lester Twigg and Dorothy Evelyn (Ritter) Twigg. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, James Paul Twigg, his sister Dorothy Jane Dorn-Surf.

In the summer of 1963, he went on a blind date arranged by a friend from church. They only said that her name was Carol and that “you will like her.” That turned out to be the luckiest day of his life, as he married Carol (Athey) Twigg, truly the love of his life, in September of 1966. He is survived by Carol, his loving wife of 57 years, and two sons, Michael Lynn Twigg and Sean Clifton Twigg. Michael and his wife Courtney Lu (Wilkinson) Twigg reside in Columbus, GA, and Sean and his wife Shannon (Waldrum) Twigg of Lusby, MD. His seven grandchildren include: Christian and wife Jannel Anderson, of Churchville, VA, Meghan Caldie and husband Austin of Winston-Salem, NC; Aidan (US Navy) and Mairi and Eloise of Columbus, GA, and David and Colin of Lusby, MD, a great grandson Finn Michael Caldie of Winston-Salem; his sister-in-law, Carola Twigg, and a niece, Victoria Ramsey both of Nashville, TN, and a nephew, John Dorn of Leonardtown, MD

He graduated from Cumberland’s Allegany High School, Class of 1962, and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Frostburg State University earning a BS in Biology and Psychology. He went to work for Kelly Springfield Tire Co., Cumberland, MD where he was one of a handful of computer programmers responsible for implementing one of the first tire plant scheduling and inventory control systems using IBM 1800 and 360 computer systems. He returned to FSU where he earned an MS in Business Management. Shortly after that he and his family relocated to the Washington, DC area, settling in Damascus, MD, when he and Carol joined Vitro Corporation in Silver Spring, MD. He and Carol relocated again to King George, VA in support of Vitro’s growing contracts in support of the Naval Systems Warfare Center and the Joint Warfare Analysis Center located in Dahlgren, VA. Vitro went through a series of mergers during their careers with the company ending up as the present-day BAE Systems. He retired from BAE in 2009 as Director of Business Operations, Dahlgren Division, Systems Engineering Solutions.

He also took some time to build a second career as a member of the United States Naval Reserve.  Enlisting in Cumberland he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer before entering the Limited Duty Officer Program. He retired after more than 22 years as a Lieutenant in the Supply Corps. Assignments included USS Sierra, USS McCloy, Navy Cargo Handing & Port Group and Commander Naval Base Norfolk as a member of the Personnel Mobilization Team.

An avid classic car enthusiast, he has owned many memorable cars such as his first, a 1952 Ford Crown Victoria, a 1957 Jaguar XK140 Drop Head Coupe, a 1962 Jaguar Mk II sedan, a 1971 Jaguar Series III E-Type 12 cylinder, and a 1975 MGB to name a few. His current collection includes a 1966 Ford Thunderbird and a 1940 LaSalle Series 52 Sedan. He enjoyed building all types of scale models; with cars and warships being his specialty. As an amateur genealogist he had traced the Twigg family, who first arrived in the United States in the mid 1600’s. They settled in Charles County Maryland. He has direct descendants who served the colonies in the French and Indian War, and the later the United States in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War and WWII. His mother’s family, the Ritters, first arrived in this country in 1863 by way of Rottweil, Germany. The family’s direct descendants and can be traced to the early 1600’s in Germany. His wife Carol’s family, the Athey’s, can be traced to 13^th century Ireland and were one of the Fourteen Founding Tribes of Galway.

He was a Life Member of the Military Officers Association of America, the Sons of the American Revolution, the American Legion, and the National Rifle Association. Other current memberships included the Sons of the War of 1812, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and the Aiken Republican Club. Other affiliations over the years have included: Fort Cumberland Lodge 211 AF&AM, US Naval Institute, the Navy League, the Fredericksburg, VA Technology Council, the National Contract Management Association, the Cedar Creek Car Club and the Cedar Creek Woodworkers Club.

He was a member of All Saints’ Anglican Church of Aiken. 

The family will receive friends Friday, June 7^th beginning at 1 p.m. at Shellhouse – Rivers Funeral Home,715 Pine Log Road, Aiken. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. at the funeral home, officiated by Father George Alexander of All Saints’ Anglican Church. The interment will be in the churchyard of All Saints’ following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Friends of the Aiken County Animal Shelter (fotasaiken.org) .

SHELLHOUSE RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC