William “Bill” Davis was born in the small town of Salem, West Virginia, on January 7, 1935. He was the second of the four Davis boys who lived on the farm and helped run the General Store. His mom was a teacher, and his dad went off to war for a number of years. Bill was a hard working boy with a strong will and when he had a chance to let loose, that he did! He and his brothers were jokesters.
Bill graduated high school and attended Salem College where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Industrial Engineering. From college, he went straight into the army for four years. During this time, he met his wife, Barbara aka Bobbie. They dated for a short time and married in March of 1959 and remained together for 61 years.
After being discharged from the army, Bill and Bobbie moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he worked as an industrial engineer for ALCOA. Robin, their first child, was born there. Bill then took a job with IBM which resulted in the upcoming moves. Their second child, Shelley, was born in Virginia. Mike, their third child, was born in New York.
Bill embodied the ideal, dedicated, determined and loyal employee for 27 years at IBM. He traveled often and worked many long hours. Just like when he was a kid, he worked hard and then played harder! He always said every man should have three things in their lifetime: a convertible, a boat and a pool, and so it was! He spent many summers living on Cayuga Lake with his family and enjoying boating and water skiing. Activity was vital to Bill! Playing basketball, tennis, golf, working out, and bike riding all made him happy.
Bill was quite the storyteller and those around him were never sure if he was telling the truth! For example, he explained to Mike that in the hills of West Virginia there live “hoop snakes” who slither up steep hills and once at the top, they place their tail which has a stinger in their mouths in order to form the hoop shape. They then proceed to roll down the hills and slither quickly to attack the nearest person. In Junior High, Mike was given an assignment to research an animal of his choice. Yep, you guessed it, he chose the “hoop snake.” So, as Mike and Bobbie struggled to find research to describe this animal, they came up empty-handed. Being frustrated, Mike returned to his teacher to tell her there is no information on “hoop snakes.” She laughed and told him that they don’t exist!
Winning was important to Bill, no matter the stakes. So, when playing any type of game with him, it was wise to watch him closely! He liked to create his own rules as the game continued. If a tennis game was going south, there was always a possibility of a flying tennis racquet.
When he decided to retire, Bill and Bobbie found a beautiful home in Boiling Springs Lakes that was on a golf course. The community of BSL became Bill’s focus as he became involved in mayoral elections, water committees, parks and recreations centers, and the fitness center. He and Bobbie both became active church members and participated in fundraising events over the years. Bill truly believed if there was a problem to solve, the chances were pretty good that he could solve it. That belief began his journey with The Pilot and reporting on everything tennis. He volunteered his time as a tennis coach at summer youth camps. He favorite piece of advice to tennis players was to hit it where they ain’t.
His ideal retirement began to get complicated as his wife began to decline due to vascular dementia. He spent over five years advocating for Bobbie and continuing to care for her as she declined even more. Once it became clear that she would need full-time assistance, Bill made himself a daily visitor and consultant on Bobbie’s care. His dedication and loving acts for her were honorable and be-yond the call of duty.
In the last few years, Bill was fighting pre-leukemia while caring for Bobbie. This was a challenge. Bobbie let go on Thanksgiving Day in 2020. Bill was devastated by her loss and relieved since her quality of life had been so minimal.
Bill picked himself up and continued his health treatments, When he felt energetic enough, he would ride his bike for 5 miles a day. He filled his days with chemo treatments and transfusions and then found the time to encourage others and meet friends for meals.
At the end of March, he was suffering from stomach issues and was discovered to have septicemia. By the time medical personnel were able to help him he was in critical condition. The treatments tried were all based on the premise that his body would heal. The amount of chemo he had received would not have allowed healing. On the morning of April 5, Bill woke up singing happy birthday to his oldest daughter, Robin. That a memory that will live forever in our hearts. Once he realized the situation, he came to terms with it and chose to let go on April 5, 2021. The world lost a force that day, and the heavens gained one,
He is survived by his three children and their spouses: Robin and Dennis McAllister, Shelley and Jeff Scudder, and Michael and Tiffany Davis. His grandchildren: Ryan McAllister, Sean McAllister, Max Scudder, Neve Davis and Marley Davis. His great grandchildren: Ryley McAllister, Jack McAllister, and Lucas McAllister. His three brothers: Robert Davis, Richard Davis and Joe Davis.
A celebration of life will be held for both William and Barbara Davis on August 11, 2021, at 11am at Peacock, Newman and White Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Parks and Recreation in care of Mary Green, 9 East Boiling Springs Road, Southport, NC 28461.
Online condolences may be made at www.peacocknewnamwhite.com.
Peacock - Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service, Southport, North Carolina.
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