Robert Taylor "Sonny" Davis

A visionary in his time, staunch conservative, patriot, lover of life and people, Robert Taylor "Sonny" Davis passed away May 30, 2014 of natural causes. His quick wit, twinkling blue eyes, and unconditional love will be truly missed.

Born in San Angelo, Texas in 1931, Sonny moved to Austin, Texas with his family before the age of one. He graduated from Austin High School in 1948 and earned a degree in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He served in the United States Air Force for three years, earning the rank of Captain. During his last year of duty, he was selected by the Commander of United States Air Forces in Europe to assist in the organization of the Royal Danish Air Force in Copenhagen, Denmark in preparation of Denmark's accession to NATO. Following his Honorable Discharge from the Air Force he entered the University Of Texas School Of Law, where he graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree in 1960.

He practiced law briefly in Austin, Texas before being selected to organize the campaign of Waggoner Carr, successfully elected Attorney General of Texas. He was appointed Assistant Attorney General of Texas in 1962, during which time he served as the legal representative of the State of Texas to the Warren Commission on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. At the request of the Attorney General of Texas, Sonny organized the Texas Youth Conference on Crime, a consortium of Texas youth organizations, formed to permit youth leaders themselves to develop and implement programs for the prevention of delinquency, with a special emphasis on drug abuse prevention. The program involved over 50,000 youth leaders in Texas annually. For his leadership of this unique program, he received the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge George Washington Medal of Freedom.

In 1963, in cooperation with the Humble Oil Education Foundation, Sonny developed a program for training college and university deans and student leaders to be more effective leaders - teaching leadership in its rightful role as a science. Using the concept that leadership is a teachable skill and a learnable skill, Sonny authored the text, "The Art of Leadership," still in use today.

In 1974, in cooperation with 100 of America's largest corporations, Sonny organized the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) program, later renamed Enactus, which mobilizes pro-free enterprise faculty members and student leaders across America to reach out into communities and teach their fellow citizens the superiority of a free market economy over government regulated economies. Today, Enactus continues to bring together student, academic and business leaders who are committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. Enactus is the largest global business and higher education network in the world, active on over 1600 college campuses, in 36 countries. It is supported by numerous major corporations across America and has resulted in over 7,400,000 volunteer hours.

Sonny served with other distinguished Texans on the Centennial Council for Prairie View A&M University. The Council achieved passage of a constitutional amendment which provided for a substantial increase in funding for the University from the Permanent University Fund. Today, that campus contains tens of millions of dollars worth of new construction made possible by the work of the Centennial Council.

Throughout his adult life Sonny has been active in real estate development in Austin, Texas and other entrepreneurial endeavors. He served as President of the Bachelors of Austin, was a founding member of the West Austin Rotary Club, and was a Co-Founder of the Austin Assembly. He is a retired member of the State Bar of Texas and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. In his later life, he spent many happy years with his wife on their ranch near Fredericksburg, Texas, where they raised exotic animals and entertained friends and family.

Sonny is preceded in death by his son, Randy Taylor Davis, and survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda McPhaul Davis; daughter Alison Davis Frey and husband Leonard W. Frey III, grandchildren Lucas "Luke" Taylor Frey, Genevieve "Gigi" Louise Frey, and step-granddaughter Isabella Carolina Frey of Austin, TX; sister Betty Davis Willson of Houston, TX; and nephews Sam F. Willson III of Montgomery, TX and Scott D Willson of Houston, TX and their children, Scott D. Willson, Jr., Loren Willson, Kristen Willson, Sam F. Willson IV, Julie Willson Lundberg, and Robert W. Willson.

Visitation will be held at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home (N. Lamar) in Austin, TX on Wednesday, June 4th from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Services will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin, TX on Thursday, June 5, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Enactus (www.enactus.org), the Ronald McDonald House (https://www.rmhc-austin.org), or the American Center for Law and Justice (http://aclj.org).