John Bailey Davis, 82, of Tega Cay, South Carolina, and formerly of Brandon, Florida, passed away peacefully due to lung cancer on July 7, 2023.
John was born in Miami, Florida in 1940 to Thomas Victor Davis and Mary Elvia Davis. His earliest years, through World War II, were spent with his parents and extended family in Arcadia, Florida. After the war, they moved back to Miami where he graduated from Miami Jackson Senior High School. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Stetson University.
He married his wife, Inez, in 1963 and they recently celebrated their 60th Anniversary.
John had a distinguished sales career over 45 years that included selling IBM Selectric Typewriters in Miami and Hondas and Mercedes Benz in Tampa. His favorite job was working on the Miami River as the Vice President of Bertram Yachts.
But John will be remembered less for how he earned his living and more for how he lived his life. He was kind, thoughtful, intellectual, and creative.
He was an artist. He could paint with any medium and loved the detail of pen and ink. He was a sculptor and a photographer. He was a meticulous designer and builder of tree forts, train layouts, greenhouses, display cases, cat houses, and Pinewood Derby cars. He passed his artistic skill to his daughter, Lisa, a costume designer in Los Angeles.
He was an Eagle Scout, like his father. He served as a professional Scouter in the Gulf Ridge Council. He forged life-long friendships with his fellow scouts in Troop 84 in Allapattah, Florida. He was a Scouting mentor, seeing his son Eric, and grandsons Luke and Zane, also become Eagle Scouts.
He was a historian. For 20 years he researched and preserved in professional detail his family history. He traveled across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to record the story of his pioneer relatives. Along the way, he collected mementos, artifacts, and stories that are a gift to his descendants for generations.
He was a life-long cat-lover including Strawberry, Cherry, Pogo, Lucy, Sheba, Cleo, Fluffy, Thunderbird, Blackie, Poochie, Shady, Huey, and Miss Kitty.
John and Inez moved to South Carolina upon retirement where he enjoyed landscaping his yard and spending time with his grandsons.
John is survived by his wife, Inez Davis, son Thomas Eric Davis (Charlotte, NC), daughter Lisa Anne Davis (Los Angeles, CA), Daughter-In-Law Jill Weaver Davis, Grandsons Luke Davis and Zane Davis, and his current beloved cat, Miss Kitty.
You are invited to drop-in for a Celebration of Life with John’s family on Saturday, July 29, 2023 between 3:30 and 5:30pm in Johnston Hall at the Quail Hollow Presbyterian Church, 8801 Park Road, Charlotte, NC.
If you wish to honor John with a contribution, he chose the Friends of Troop 256 as his charity. Donations will support camping scholarships and Scouting activities. Please go to FriendsofTroop256.com/davis/ for information.
