Harold Raymond Davis

Ray is preceded in death by his parents Hal and Helen Davis and his wife, Patricia “Patty” Davis, of 48 years.

He is survived by 2 sisters, Judy Smith & Marian Miller; 2 daughters, Jennifer Davis Marks & Alison Marie Davis; 3 Grandchildren, Madeline, Cecilia & Tyler.

Ray Davis was born in Trenton, New Jersey, but grew up in Princeton, NJ and was an avid athlete from a young age. He played in whatever sport was going on that season, but excelled at soccer, tennis, basketball and baseball. Following college at Western Maryland, he attended seminary school, which put him on a path of Christian service that never ended. During seminary school he was a student minister at Providence Methodist church outside Baltimore, MD and doubled their membership during the mere two years he served there. That church still exists today. (He was 22 years old when he accomplished this). He told his family that he learned that diplomacy for the Lord was part of being a good minister from that experience after he negotiated a dance the elders were against and the young people wanted. He may have been the original story of Footloose!

He was a Chaplain in the Army for 20 years and retired in 1978 as a Lt. Colonel at Ft. Sam Houston. During his 20 years he did two tours in Korea and one in Vietnam, where he received several medals for valor, bravery and integrity, including, but not limited to, the Bronze Star. He also traveled the globe on other assignments, both foreign and domestic.

While attending Chaplain School, he received his first orders and reported to Ft. Holabird on the outskirts of Baltimore, MD. It was here that Ray became a Baltimore Orioles’ baseball fan. Through a mutual friend, he was introduced and became friends with a certain third basemen from the Orioles, Brooks Robinson. They did some radio shows together discussing the importance of religion in sports. It was a fun and meaningful time in his life.

His first tour in Korea was in the DMX (Demilitarized Zone) and his unit was told that if the North Koreans came south, they were to hold them back and stall for reinforcements…they were also told that if that happened, 98% of their unit would be casualties. It was a wake-up call for Ray, as the war had technically been over for 9 years at that point.

He was 29 when he decided he was called to be trained to be a parachutist for the Army. Out of the 425 students who started the program, only 225 completed the requirements, Ray being one of them, and also one of the “oldest” at 29. His time in Vietnam was spent a lot in helicopters, where he would go from troop camps to troop camps serving communion, performing worship services or unfortunately, at times, last rites. It was a very difficult and challenging year and Ray did not spend a lot of time sharing the intimate details of his adventures with family or friends. Many of those memories are going to the grave with him. He was greatly rewarded for his time served honorably in Vietnam. He even volunteered for another 6-month tour, but was refused by the Chief of Chaplains for humanitarian reasons. Ray had seen enough.

Fast forward his marriage to Patty Davis in 1974, the happiest day of his life (in his words)…after a year of marriage they had their first daughter, Jennifer and four years later, Alison. After he retired from the military and moved permanently to San Antonio, he became the Associate Pastor of Windcrest United Methodist Church (WUMC). He did a small stint of work for Methodist Hospital, but his career was at WUMC, where he served lovingly as an Associate Minister for 28 years. During his tenure the church grew exponentially…enough that a new sanctuary was built in 1990 due largely to his visits, time and efforts.

In his spare time, he loved to coach and support soccer. Both of his daughters played and he coached their teams at various times during their lives. He was also involved in charitable organizations, including Kid Sports Network, which helped kids have access to sporting equipment, athletic camps, etc. Ray was passionate about sports. He was also a loyal Spurs fan and attended many home games. He never missed a televised game and listened to it on the radio, while watching! His favorite Spurs memory was when he was chosen as the “Fan Favorite” to be the civilian captain alongside David Robinson and Tim Duncan. He met with them at center court, flipped the coin and stayed on cloud nine for weeks. His family has seen the video multiple times, to say the least.

After Ray retired in June of 2006, he helped take care of his three grandchildren, whom he loved immensely. All three grandchildren have a respect for The Price is Right, as he never missed the show at 10am. Ray lived a full life and was devastated when his wife of 48 years was diagnosed with dementia several years ago. She passed away just 30 days before him. They were soul mates of the best kind. They are together now in the mansions of heaven enjoying each other in perfect health. Rev. Ray Davis will be missed by many and remembered by more…the legacy of his many ministries will outlive him.

The family knows Ray had an impact on many people in different contexts and would love to read your memories, so please help us remember him!

If you have a memory to share about Rev. or Coach Davis, please go to the Colonial website and post your memory at: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/universal-city-tx/harold-davis-11402882

If you want to share your memory with the family alone, please be a few minutes early to the funeral to write your memory and put in a closed memory box that will be read at a later date by the family only…we respect your privacy.

Funeral service will be held from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Windcrest United Methodist Church, 8101 Midcrown Dr, San Antonio, TX 78239 followed by a committal service with Military Honors from 11:00 AM 11:30 AM at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209 on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

Reminder: There will not be a shaded area at Ft Sam Houston National Cemetery, please bring an umbrella or a hat