William Garland Davis Jr.

Born on December 13, 1931 in DeKalb, Illinois, Bill spent much of his childhood in Indianapolis. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan with a degree in economics, Bill went on to serve in the Navy before returning to Indianapolis to begin a multi-decade career with Eli Lilly Corporation. Bill and Hortense Dunlop (“Tortie”) married in 1957 and raised their three daughters in Argentina, Italy, and Indianapolis until Tortie’s passing in 1974.

In 1979, Bill married Carolyn Peck, and together they spent a happy 41 years. After retiring from his final role at Lilly as President of Medical instruments in 1984, Bill and Carolyn enjoyed traveling, wintering in Florida, and spending time with their grandchildren who knew them as Grandma Kenni and Opa. Bill continued to serve on a variety of both medical company and educational institution boards well into retirement. Sharp until the end, Opa made sure to text his Wordle submissions every morning to the family chat. Bill had an incredible memory for details and history; his family lore included a saga about an ancestor named Washington McWhorter ("Uncle Warsh" in Hoosier-speak) who owned the land Crown Hill Cemetery is on until he sold it for two jugs of "corn" (Hoosier for corn-whiskey).

Bill is preceded in death by Tortie, Kenni, sister Elizabeth McKenna, grandson William McAdams, and daughter Pamela Freese. He is survived by daughters Leslie Davis and Stephanie McAdams, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Contributions in Bill's honor can be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.