David McCutcheon

John David McCutcheon, born in Winter Haven Hospital on September 26, 1950, passed away October 25, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer. He was the fourth child in a family of seven. He was better known as Pops, Big Pop, and David to all who knew him.

Family members who have gone before him include father, Wilmer McCutcheon, mother, Mary Llewellyn Clark McCutcheon, brothers Ken and Bert, sisters-in-law Anne, Connie and Evie, and brothers-in-law, Bill Lyons and Gib Conn.

David was the proud father of two sons, Jonathan David, Lutz, Florida, and Jeremy Ryan, Lakeland, Florida, and three grandchildren, Keira Quinlan, Trenton David, and Brody Ryan. He is survived by sisters, Mary Lynn Lyons, Martha Conn and Ruthie Becerra (Alberto), and brother Doug. He was Uncle David to their many children. He helped raise two bonus sons, Shaun Bunch and Jason Bunch (Katie).

Big Pop loved his sons and grandkids dearly and was passionate that each one know where their ancestors originated: Ireland to America via Canada and ultimately to Florida. He was proud to be the only “Cracker” in the room at gatherings of extended family and friends, and always wanted to know where everyone else was born and how they came to Polk County.

David was a baseball coach to many young boys in south Lakeland and scout master to Lakeland’s Troop 106. He held offices in the lunchtime Sertoma Club and was active in the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. He graduated magna cum laude from Saint Leo College with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

David served three years in the US Navy as a signalman on a ship and to this day could recite Morse code. He was a tireless and organized employee with two careers, first as an engineer in the local telephone industry and second, as warehouse manager in the local elections office. He was an avid collector of fishing lures, poker chips, miniature trains, and coins, just to name a few of his collections. His displays of fishing lures were precisely done with great pride. He loved “the hunt” to find rare additions to his collections. His favorite vacations were spent cruising to the Caribbean islands.

David is surely missed by his wife and best friend, Debra J. Funkhouser, along with her six siblings and many more nieces and nephews that loved their southern uncle.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 7, from 12:00 – 3:00 pm at Harmony Haven, 6320 US 98 South, Bartow, Florida, 33830. Interment will take place on Thursday, November 5, at 11:30 am at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, FL.