William "Bill" Samuel Davis

Bill was born September 24th, 1929, in Nicholasville, KY. He grew up in Kentucky and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a teaching degree in chemistry. After his service as a Navy Lieutenant, he returned to school for a degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, the institution where on a blind date to a football game he met the love of his life, Molly. Bill also spent a year in the seminary at Emory University in Atlanta, GA.

Bill and Molly were married and made their home originally in Cumberland, MD later moving to Woodbury, MN in 1967 when Bill took a job with 3M as a quality control engineer. Bill was a member of the Woodbury Lion’s Club and volunteered regularly throughout his life-- on a suicide crisis hotline, teaching chess (he was an excellent chess player), teaching tennis, as a reading mentee for elementary students, and much more. He loved to sing, dance, play music (harmonica), play board games and sports with his four children and attend their many activities. He was a member of Grove United Methodist church in Woodbury most of his adult life.

Bill loved camping and took the family on many trips across the United States. He was well versed in the works of C.S. Lewis, Joseph Campbell, the Dalai Lama, and loved to discuss spirituality through a course he taught or through the sharing of books. He was always knowledgeable about the day’s current events and began painting in his retirement. In short, he was a lifelong learner.

He is preceded in death by his parents and three siblings: Martha Lee, Mary, & Tom. He is survived by Molly, married 64 years; sons Stanley and Charles (Martha), daughters Sarah and Ginger (Steve). He loved his grandchildren Lia, Trenton, Pearl, Rory, Julian, Will, and Ryland.

He will be remembered for his tremendous smarts, his easy laugh, his inquisitiveness, and compassion for others.

Visitation will be this Sunday, February 20th at the Grove United Methodist Church in Woodbury, 7465 Steepleview Road, at 2 PM with a service to follow at 3PM. We will gather at a local restaurant after the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's memory can be made to the Woodbury Lions Club: WoodburyLions.org or to the U.S. Chess Federation: USChess.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WulffFuneralHome.com for the Davis family.