The Honorable Ron Davis Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 1

Ronald Knowlton Davis (Ron Davis) was born on May 10, 1945 in Austin, Texas. He was the beloved son of Ms. Valena A. Davis Simmons and grandson of the late Rev. S.L. Davis and Willie Cora Davis. He accepted Jesus Christ at an early age and was baptized at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. In 1988, he joined Mount Olive Baptist Church and was a faithful member until his passing on February 2, 2021.

He was educated in the Austin Independent School District through the 8th grade. As a 9th grader, he was on the summer football team at Old Anderson High School before his family moved to Pompano Beach, Florida where he attended Blanche Ely High School and graduated in 1963. He was on the football and baseball teams in high school, and was a Major League Baseball prospect as a pitcher. After graduation, he moved back to Austin to attend Huston-Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson University) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1968.

In 1964, he met Ms. Annie Delois Burton at the Harlem Theater on East 12th Street, and after their romantic courtship they exchanged wedding vows on January 23, 1968.   Before he became active in political affairs, he was a computer analyst with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs (the “VA”).  While working at the VA, he attended graduate school and earned a Master’s of Public Administration from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) in 1983 graduating with honors and later receiving recognition as a distinguished alumnus.

Knowing that public service was his true calling, he went on to become an entrepreneur and created the East Austin Strategy Team where he served as Chairman from 1983-1998. He was a lifelong advocate for the Black and Hispanic communities of East Austin. In his tireless years of advocacy, the Northeast Travis County community voted for him to represent them in Precinct 1 in 1998.  He served on the Travis County Commissioners Court for one ‘two-year term’ and then ‘four consecutive, four-year terms’ until his retirement in 2016.

During his time as a political activist and as Commissioner, he had many accomplishments which included, but are not limited to, leading efforts to address environmental degradation east of Interstate 35, helping to close a "tank farm" of gasoline storage units that was polluting a neighborhood, testifying in opposition at the Barton Creek Planned Unit Development hearing in 1990, and campaigning door-to-door to help protect Barton Springs. In addition, he worked to establish the Austin Community College campus in East Austin, fought to make sure East Austin and Northeastern Travis County received its fair share of public resources for infrastructure, economic development, and social services. He also led the effort to rename the Travis County Courthouse after Heman Sweatt (First African-American to enroll in the University of Texas Law School), built a shelter for homeless women and children, and championed a referendum to fund a nonprofit corporation to build a 53-mile pipeline for a high-quality supply of drinking water. Commissioner Davis also spearheaded work on Travis County's economic development program and policies which included incentives to solicit and attract businesses that would provide job opportunities for low-income individuals, and led the creation and development of the 273-acre East Metropolitan Park.

He was a caring, dedicated husband and father who loved his family more than anything. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 53 years, Annie Delois Davis; sons, Ron Davis, Jr. (Alice), Cedric Davis (Valerie) and daughter, Shaunda Davis; grandchildren, Arnell, Ryon, Aaron, Cameron, Chanecia, and Cedric, Jr.; sister, Nikki Tolliver (Jimmy) and numerous other relatives and friends.

Funeral Services COVID Protocol:

Mandatory Masks

Temperature Checks at Church Entrance

Family Group Seating

Friends, Every-Other Pew Seating

Social Distancing Required