It is with deepest regret that we announce the passing of David Harold Goldstein on May 12, 2021. He was born June 1, 1942, to Minnie and Isaac (Rocky) Goldstein.

Predeceased by his parents and his sister Gwendolyn (Al) Benjamin, whose yahrzeit was the same day as his death, David leaves his loving and beloved wife Laura Levy; children Evelyn and Jordan (Meghan) Goldstein; stepchildren Julia Levy (Hugh Watkins), Debra Levy (James Greenburg), Josh and Carly Kimmel; and granddaughter Makenna Goldstein.

David was a native Dallasite who attended Hillcrest High School and was very active in the Henry Monsky AZA chapter. He later attended UT Austin, where he graduated. Not too long after that, he came back to Dallas to help run the family business in Deep Ellum started by Rubin (Honest Joe) Goldstein and his brothers who came from New York. Most Jews flocked to Dallas during the Great Depression to open pawnshops. 2018 Elm Street was home to David as he helped his father, Rocky Goldstein, run the famous pawnshop that would draw the most interesting characters. David would later become full owner of the store and still work alongside Rocky. David left Deep Ellum with his father not long after John Hinckley walked into his store and legally bought the .22-caliber Rohm RG-14 he used in the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. Rocky’s pawnshop was moved to East Dallas on East Grand. David could sell ice to an Eskimo, he was so good at his job. He had decided to change things up after leaving East Grand and heading on down to Garland Road and Peavy, where he turned it into Rocky’s Police Equipment with his father running a small pawnshop inside the store. The two worked together until Rocky’s passing in 1995.

In his early years David did some traveling to Europe and the Caribbean and lived in Israel in an art colony. He got into painting and playing the saxophone. His kids remember him being up late at night playing the saxophone. He loved singing and bringing people together and before he passed, he started singing with the Shearith Israel Choir. Over 35 years ago he started a men’s dinner group with his two best friends, Larry Strauss and Bernie Shuster. The group is called The Weiss Guys. It started with those three and grew well over to 200, and is still rocking. David was married a few times and had two children he loved very much. His son Jordan and daughter Evelyn remember their father being a prankster and a great story and joke teller, which made their childhood so much fun. He really knew and was a part of some really cool Dallas history. He later finally met the love of his life, Laura Levy. They fell in love and spent 17 beautiful years caring for each other. He would tell his kids and anyone he knew that he and Laura were what real love is. He would sing to her and she would laugh and love with him until he left this world. David loved Judaism and practicing it by attending services every Saturday. Also, he had many friends and for him it was about laughing, loving and incorporating that by bringing everyone together that entered his life. So much history lies behind this man, anyone who knew him would say that David needed to write a book of all his wonderful memories and experiences growing up in Dallas. This is a tough one for this community. He made such an impact on so many people in their lives whose memories of him live on.

—Written by
David’s loving daughter,
Evelyn Goldstein