Lera Dean Davis

Lera Dean Davis, of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Lawrenceville, Georgia, while holding her son’s hand. Born in Cullman, Alabama, on April 16, 1934, Dean was the only child of Nettie and Porter Jetton.

She grew up adoring the day trips she and her parents took to Birmingham. She loved “the big city” so much that she moved there immediately after high school and remained there for most of her life.

While in Birmingham, Dean met her husband of 39 years on a blind date, introduced by a mutual friend who thought they would get along. That friend was right. Although Gene often drove her “up a wall,” as she would say, they went on to have two children and remained married until his death in 1996.

Dean loved to travel. She visited numerous countries and eventually filled the surface of an entire refrigerator with magnets from the destinations she had visited. Among her favorite places were Rome, Austria, Hawaii, Alaska, Paris, and Jerusalem.

In 1980, after her youngest child moved out of the house, Dean enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and became the first woman in her family to earn a Bachelor of Arts (Medical Record Administration). She also earned the Adcock Award for the highest grades in her program and became a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

Dean was an active member of Riverchase United Methodist Church and treasured her dear church friends and the community. Nearly every week after the Seekers Sunday School Class, she would go to lunch with her “church group.” She also proudly planned trips and activities for senior adults, was a member of United Methodist Women, and enjoyed visiting residents of local nursing homes with the Good Samaritans.

Always an advocate to “be sweet,” Dean accepted people for who they were. Her children and grandchildren were her pride and joy; she loved them fiercely and wholeheartedly. Her home, affectionately called both ‘Baba’s house” and “Nana’s house,” was her grandkids’ favorite destination growing up. Every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, she’d prepared warm holiday meals to share. She ensured her home was full of truly unconditional love, and she will be remembered as one of the sweetest people anyone could know.

In September 2024, Dean moved to Atlanta, Georgia to be near her son’s side of her family. She always wore a mischievous smile when her daughter-in-law encouraged her to walk and drink plenty of water. She especially enjoyed frequent outings with her grandsons to nearby parks, gardens, festivals, and shops; where they admired the lakes, animals, spring flowers, and autumn colors. She spent her years surrounded by her loving family.

Dean was preceded in death by her parents, Nettie and Porter Jetton; her husband, Gene Davis; and her “special friend,” Bill McCrory. She is survived by her children, Rob (Xiaohong), and Janice (Doug) Entler; her grandchildren, Kristin Entler, Adam, and Michael; and many cousins, friends, and loved ones who will miss her more than words can express.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, October 24 at Southern Heritage Funeral Home in Pelham, AL; with a visitation at 1 p.m., and funeral service at 2 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in lieu of flowers.