William B Davis

by his loving wife and daughters. Bill was born on June 7, 1920 in Haileyville, OK to Zack and

Mary (Giacomo) Davis. He graduated from Sherman High School in Goodland, KS and attended

Creighton University for two years, before enlisting in the 8th Army Air Corps during World

War II. Bill served as a B-17 navigator with the 388th Bomb Group and was shot down during

combat over Germany, spending nearly two years as a POW. After liberation, he returned home

and began his career as telegrapher with the Rock Island Railroad, where he met his future wife,

Arlene Parker, a fellow telegrapher. Their love blossomed over the wires long before they ever

actually met. They eventually moved to Kansas City, where they raised four daughters. After

retiring from the railroad at the age of 60, Bill graduated from UMKC with a degree in

Communication Studies and worked briefly for KCMO Radio.

Bill was preceded in death by his daughter, Angela. He is survived by his wife of 70 years,

Arlene Davis, daughters Teresa (John) Merideth, St. Louis, MO, Gloria (Steve) Johnson, Prairie

Village, KS and Carole (Steve) Munns, Overland Park, KS, fourteen grandchildren and

twenty-one great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 1, 10:00 am at St.

Ann’s Chapel, 7231 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS, followed by the Mass of Resurrection

at 11:00 and burial at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Kansas City, MO. In lieu of flowers, the family

suggests contributions to Missouri Prairie Foundation, Catholic Community Hospice, or

Disabled American Vets.

Bill shared many passions with his family: a strong Catholic faith, an encyclopedic knowledge of

history, an intense appreciation of his Italian heritage, an insatiable appetite for sports, a

progressive attitude toward politics and boundless generosity toward many charities. He lived his

life with gratitude and wonder, faithful to God and country and devoted to his family. Many

thanks to the staff at Brighton Gardens of Prairie Village and Catholic Community Hospice for

their incredible dedication and gentle support. “You deserve a raise!” Condolences may be made at www.mcgilleymidtownchapel.com