William (Bill) was born in Holladay, Utah on October 7, 1927. Bill is preceded in death by his true love and wife, Janice Pimentel Davis; his parents, William L. and Lily Eve Davis; and his sister, Betty Davis Krone. He is survived by his sisters Virginia Davis Baker and Georganne Davis Baker, and his children and grandchildren.
Bill was a devoted father to his four children, William R. Davis (wife Connie), Thomas D. Davis (wife Judy), John M. Davis and Mary Beth Stephens (husband Ed). He was adored by his grandchildren and cherished his role as “Papa Bill” to Daniel Davis, Lauren Davis, Ryan Davis, Owen Stephens, William Stephens, Ann Callison and Tim McQueen (wife Rachel). He also had two great-grandchildren, Colton and Lennon McQueen.
Bill’s father was at the leading edge of new construction practices and as a result the family traveled across the county to job sites and engineering schools. Bill graduated from Alhambra High School in 1945 and shortly thereafter enlisted in the Army. He proudly served his country as a Sergeant in the 24th Infantry during World War II. His division cleared the Japanese resistance in the Pacific theater and participated in occupation duties on mainland Japan following the end of the war.
Upon his return to the US, he attended Pasadena City College where he earned his Associate of Arts degree (1949) and was a member of the PCC Honor Society. He received his Bachelor of Arts from UC Santa Barbara in 1952 and later a Master of Arts from the University of Pacific. Bill was a tremendous athlete, excelling in both football and baseball and was inducted into the Athletic Halls of Fame at both PCC and UCSB. He also represented the USA in 1952 as a part of the Collegiate Baseball All-Stars game versus the Japan All-Stars.
Passionate about education and sports, Bill became a teacher and a coach at Pasadena City College, Temple City High School and Lincoln High School in Stockton. He taught courses in Government, Economics and California History, in addition to coaching football, baseball and golf. He was the first Athletic Director at Lincoln High and served in that capacity for 27 years from 1962-1988 and was named Football Coach of the Year in 1964.
He was active in the community and was involved in many local organizations. He served as the first President of the C.I.F. San Joaquin Section (North), was President of the NorCal Basketball Officials, and was also the Golf Chairman of Seniors in Retirement Area 14. He maintained many memberships, including the California Retired Teachers Association, the American Legion, the UCSB Alumni Association, and the Pasadena Good Ole Boys.
Bill was a loving family man and a loyal friend. He thoroughly enjoyed sports, teaching, reading, gardening, history, and photography. He was a humble, compassionate man with unwavering principles and a strong work ethic. Through his life’s work as a teacher and coach he positively influenced countless young men and women. He will be remembered fondly by all that had the pleasure of knowing him.
A memorial service will be held on February 6, 2020 at 2:00pm at DeYoung Memorial Chapel at 601 N. California St. in Stockton, CA. Visitation hours will be available between 1-5pm before or after the memorial.
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