David L Bissell
David's favorite verse: "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you....understand...how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is...though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Eph. 3:16-19
Obituary
David Bissell, loving son, brother, husband, wise and fun-loving dad/grandpa to three sons/their wives, 8 grandkids and other relatives, long-time devoted pastor/Bible teacher and godly friend/mentor to many, passed away on September 12, 2025, at age 82. We are sad, but also grateful that we were able to know this man who lived a life of earnest faith and devotion to God and his family, tried to create wonderful memories for family and friends in many ways, helped so many, and above all tried to bring people closer to Jesus!
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IMPORTANT INFO
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There will be a memorial to celebrate his life on Oct. 11, 2025 @ 4pm at the Ooltewah SDA church in Ooltewah, TN and we would love to see those who knew him come. Details, map, address, etc. are at the bottom of this page. It would also help the planning if you would RSVP if you are coming. Most of it will be streamed from the Ooltewah SDA church youtube page here, www.youtube.com/@OoltewahAdventistChurch/streams (a couple special musical pieces that are copyrighted may not be).
We would love it if you would add any appreciation/tributes or memories of your experience with David on the "Memory Wall" section below. If you have special photos of David Bissell to share, please upload them to the "Gallery" section below. We would like to have a slide show of the best pictures we can find of David's life at the memorial. Just click "add a photo" at the bottom of the gallery section and add any computer/digital photos of David that you would like to share (if you don't have them in digital form, please scan them or find someone who can do that for you and then upload them). You don't need to register or sign up to do these things.
If you would like to make a donation to his memory, in lieu of flowers/gifts, we know he would appreciate you give to Christian education which has such a tremendous life long impact on earth and for eternity. So if you desire to do this, please donate to:
https://oaksonline.net/donate
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DAVID'S LIFE OVERVIEW
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David was a giant of God’s love, poured his life and love into everything, touching countless lives with his profound faith, gentle spirit, listening ear, and willingness to help many in need/crises. He pursued truth and shared God’s wisdom to free as many as possible and to the end kept encouraging all to keep growing closer to Jesus.
David and his wife shared a deep and abiding love that was a testament to their faith, a faith which gave them strength to overcome the highs and lows and challenges of life that come to all. To his sons, he was a guiding light, a "giant of God's love," whose wisdom, listening ear, and Christ-like example inspired their lives. He shared his passions for music and an active lifestyle with his family and many friends, from playing musical duets to outdoor/nature activities, competing in racquetball and pickleball and more. Just a month and a half before he died, he was playing sports very competitively and the family was enjoying a camp together, a treasured memory that speaks to the rich life he led.
David's legacy is defined by his love for people. He was always willing to talk and listen, to share, and to help people in crises, touching more lives than we can count. He was very active in churches wherever he lived, the worships, school activities, Bible studies, outreach and service activities. He was used by God to baptize many, including his boys and several grandchildren. He understood that true wealth is found not in material possessions, but in the time we spend with God and with those we love. He was a pillar of strength and a source of spiritual guidance, always encouraging his family and friends to be courageous and keep their faith and grow closer to Jesus.
We miss him terribly, but our hearts are comforted by the unwavering hope of seeing him again. David held fast to the promise that Jesus is the resurrection and the life, and he is now at rest, awaiting the day when Christ will return.
David is survived by his loving wife, three sons and their wives and 8 grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held to honor David’s life and legacy on Friday, October 11, at 4p.m. at the Ooltewah SDA Church, located at 9400 Ooltewah-Ringgold Rd, Ooltewah, TN. All who knew David are welcome to join us in celebrating a life well-lived.
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MORE TRIBUTES
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If you want to read more about David's life and tributes from those who knew him, there is a memory wall below with some of that. You can also read the tributes of his family and people commenting on their posts at these links:
On David's page
www.facebook.com/docbissell/posts/pfbid0ju1oKt3VJsYHUb6PWjsSdLSQrqsk3u2ToRQ2qH6Jx9MPt6L6Tkv7hUuqogXRBTRFl
Jeanette
www.facebook.com/jeanette.bissell/posts/pfbid02yNWxHqGejZMMS7gBCT6XnZZh5t5BJJTZAsBEYMZmwUA1w64sgJGbSCbXLiGY8RATl
Bryan:
www.facebook.com/bryan.bissell/posts/pfbid02bs15FHnB1qDYWncqwXy9GMumuxZNGajw7MgDFADXSYp9TTnbDLtpB6md1k8yRjpsl
Dan:
www.facebook.com/dano.mano72/posts/pfbid0ePZcSVXtKTUztTx2ZV149kq797o9gUPDHUD3Zq8Z1R2XcjpZPkymdSH3MeTVeZzHl
Darin:
www.facebook.com/DarinandBekah/posts/pfbid0gFu8BYEKG44tbmLnfdutfMZMhgn7vLHk4j8n3gjPy2RjJZ6VBaCNffHsrP57uGLEl
Timeline
Gallery
Videos
Memory wall
Strangely, I was talking with my wife just today about my time teaching in Korea, reminiscing about the students and the various English-teaching colleagues I had -- including David Bissell -- and then I thought to do a Google search to see if any information could be had about any of them, even after all this time -- but then, with a shock, discovered that David had just passed away last September.
As a famed science-fiction author once wrote, "Synchonicity can happen at any time."
Some random memories, if I may: I recall David joining the English Department at Pusan Univerity of Foreign Studies in the Republic of Korea in the mid-nineties. He struck me as a personable, nice fellow. I never observed him in the classroom per se, but I noted how he would sometimes take his guitar to class with him, as an occasional musical teaching aid. His students seemed to like him .
Meanwhile, he and his wife, Jeanette, lived in our apartment building a few doors down from us, and they invited us to their place for orange juice and snacks a few times. On two or three occasions, David and Jeanette asked me to proctor a test taken by their youngest (?) son, Darin, who was then enrolled remotely in a school course in the U.S., after which I mailed ithe test paper to the school. (Such may strike one as creaky old ancient history now -- this was well before Zoom!)
I also recall some interesting conversations that David and I had about spiritual and scientific matters, and once attended a gathering of his co-religionists in Pusan at which he gave an interesting talk or sermon. I further recall once how, in the living room of another English teacher, who was, like him, of the Adventist persuasion (not from our university, though), David officiated at the first-birthday celebration of the hosts' infant daughter, at one point taking out his trusty guitar and singing a gentle song to her.
My wife and I left Korea a few years later, but I never forgot David; he did leave an impression.
May I offer my deep condolences to Jeanette and to the other members of the Bissell family, on the passing of their beloved husband and father.
Warmly yours,
Scott Walters
Seoul
I remember meeting him and his sweet wife at Prayer meeting in 2012 at the Ooltewah church of which was a blessing. It was so kind of him to step out of retirement to fill a void in between Pastors.
More recently I had some very good discussions with him when he asked me what I thought of what was going on in our nation and we both agreed that we were seeing last day Prophecy being fulfilled. Also he was concerned about people and churches being broken up over the question of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirits roll in the God Head. So he started a book on the subject and he shared with me some points in it and I was really looking forward to it coming out. That’s why when I heard of his health problems, I saw them as an attack from the Evil one and really prayed for him and was comforted when he was anointed by Pastor Andy, knowing with that happening we can rest assured that God will would be done. But sad to say God chose to lay him to rest for what reason we will not fully know till the Kingdom, whether it was for someone else who knows but we can know that where we are in time this text is true in Isa 57:1 “ The righteous perish, and no man lay it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” Isa 57:1.
So take comfort he will not have long to sleep and may we stay faithful to meet again on that glorious day and my prayers are with the family as you grieve the pain of loss and the void.
Lan & Dorothy
Family tree
Favorites
Service
While we mourn his loss, we also aim to cherish the moments we shared and the joy he brought into our lives. Your presence would mean a great deal to us during this time of remembrance and reflection.
Donate
https://oaksonline.net/donate
This will change lives for eternity, they have helped us a lot, and research shows that for every $1 you give, it has ~$8-16 in benefits lifelong and that's only the benefits you can calculate, but there are many others. Your generous donation will serve as a meaningful tribute, perpetuating the spirit of David by supporting a meaningful cause and it will continue the legacy of compassion and kindness that David embodied throughout his life.
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