David Santana Jr.

September 30, 1975 - April 25, 2020

David Santana Jr., 44, of Houston, Texas, passed away April 25, 2020, after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. David was born September 30, 1975, Houston, Texas, to David Sr. and Enriquetta (Duran) Santana. He grew up in Houston, Texas and graduated from Sharpstown High School in 1994, where he was an active member of his debate team. During that time, at age 17, David fought his first battle with cancerDespite poor diagnosis, David won his battle and was declared cancer-free. The Make-A-Wish Foundation offered him a wish. Rather than use it on himself, he asked for sponsorship for him and his debate team to compete in Nationals that year. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Communications in 1998. During this time, he assisted the debate team at Sharpstown High, where he developed an interest in teaching, a passion he pursued, earning a Masters in Education from UST in 2001. David's career included executive positions for multiple Chambers of Commerce in Sumter County Florida and Greater Height Houston, as well as a unit executive director for the American Cancer Society. He returned to teaching and dived into Montessori Education, becoming a teacher at Garden Oaks Montessori. He established the Montessori program at Garden Oaks and then went on to create Texas's first public highschool Montessori program at Waltrip High School where he was the Montessori Program Director. He was an inspiration to many for his dedication to his students and to life. David was a brilliant and avid hobbyist and volunteer. He volunteered as a docent at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where he became an expert on ancient Egypt. He enjoyed biking, completing the Texas MS 150 from Houston to Austin. He was an active member of the White Horse Academy of Martial Arts, earning a Red belt and was ready for his black belt test. He was a master of the art of quilting, lego-making, and games. He is survived by his father and mother, David Sr. and Enriquetta; his younger sister Diana; his younger brother Michael; and his three cats, Darwin, Emma and Ally.