Huntingdon Valley author Morry David
by Debra Wallace
Bestselling author Morry David has excelled as a teacher, mentor, marketing expert, and business leader – and this continues to be his lasting legacy.
An accomplished pianist, he first made his mark at age 16, when he started his own local music school to teach his peers how to play his favorite instrument. He knew that the students disliked practicing, so he figured out what kind of music each of them enjoyed and cajoled them into practicing, turning them into lifelong musicians.
He operated his own studio at 21, where he recorded the music of Stevie Wonder and other artists, and worked with most of the area discos. The owner of the local security company Alarms Plus since 1972, he continued to use his problem-solving expertise.
“There is something in my personality that loves helping people,” David explained. “Whether it is in my business or assisting my friends or loved ones. I always aim to inspire people, so they want to learn and reach new heights!”
David and his wife of 47 years, Sharon, moved to Huntingdon Valley in 1984 before they started a family. They selected their new township because of the highly-rated Lower Moreland Township School District.
Their two children, Justin, now 36, and Brooke, now 33, attended the local schools, and David and his wife became involved in the Huntingdon Valley Activities Association, (HVAA).
For 11 years, they used their contacts, fundraising, and marketing expertise to host special appreciation dinners for the parent coaches and assistant coaches involved in basketball, baseball, soccer, and other local sports. They also raised money for breast cancer research and cures, and other local and national charities.
David’s writing career began when he looked for enjoyable young adult fiction that his then-teenage son and his friends could enjoy and came up empty-handed.
He wrote and published The Chase in 2018 and The Ghost in 2019. Both novels became instant bestsellers that are currently available on Amazon. These books came after numerous rejections from publishers and agents; but true to his nature, David never gave up.
His books are dialogue-driven which makes them move along quickly. “Children frequently contact me to talk about the characters and how it piqued their imagination. I use the words and phrases to make the characters come alive.”
His third book, Cosmo, is about an alien in the form of a Golden Retriever puppy with an ET vibe. For the past two years, he has been working on a movie about Cosmo slated to begin filming soon in Nashville, with David as a producer. While he loves ET, his alien character is not scary; it is lovable.
“The family-friendly movie Cosmo is about love. Cosmo came to earth to help us and show us what we are doing wrong. The puppy intends to educate and entertain.”
The book, which has been published, will be distributed by a division of Simon and Schuster about six months before the Cosmo movie is released.
David is also a TEDx Wilmington speaker whose 2023 talk Why Some People Can Fly is resonating with audiences. The premise of the talk is understanding that we consistently allow our fears to stop us from pursuing our goals and dreams.
“Most fears are perceived; they are not real. But until people understand this, they become stuck in a maze of almost hopelessness. I believe those walls that box us in are imaginary, and if we want to find a way out, we can soar.”
Caring for his family continues to be a major focus for David. Justin is getting married soon, and Brooke made David a grandfather a few weeks ago when she had a baby girl named Lily; a new role that he cannot get enough of.
He has sage advice for future generations that he is eager to share. “There is so much more to life than what’s on the surface. Everyone has something special in them, but they need the opportunity to bring it out.”
David believes his accomplishments contain a major life lesson. “If I can continue to make my mark at age 74, then what’s stopping someone younger than me from plunging in, using their passion, and making their mark,” he asked. “The car you buy will eventually rust and the house you buy may eventually have termites, but the impact you have on other people’s lives will last forever!”