Susan Emily Marie Davis

Susie was affectionately known as a woman of many nicknames, such as “Sweet Sue,” “Momma Susie,” “Sprangz Momma,” and “Mother of the Children of the Corn” (having appointed herself with the last two nicknames), among others. She was born on April 9, 1962 to Victor Erday Jr and Maria Agustina Moreno Erday in Geneva, Illinois.

After Susie graduated from Geneva High School in 1980, she went on to study at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 1984. Though she grew up working at her family’s custom men’s suit store, Erday Clothiers, she started her first career right out of college working as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines.

Eventually, she relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana with Delta, where she met a spirited young man (who also happened to live in NoLa at the time) on one of her flights home. Being a professional, she noted him mentally but did not begin to flirt with him until she ran into him later at a popular bar, Cooter Brown’s. Though Samuel “Jay” Davis III was there with a date, fate would have it otherwise. Shortly thereafter, these two began dating, got engaged and eloped in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 29, 1989.

After a brief stint in Los Angeles, Jay and Susie moved to Florida and gave birth to five daughters in a short five year time span. Shortly after, Susie took an extended leave from Delta and became a full-time homemaker, which was no easy task. Most of her time was spent coordinating her daughters’ softball schedules, shuttling kids around, trying to remember the names of all her kids’ friends or students’ names in her brief time working as a substitute teacher, enjoying time by the pool, cooking for and caring for her family, frequenting dive bars with Jay to enjoy live music, reading many historic novels (especially about the Civil War), and tending to her gardens.

Susie’s disarming nature and kind demeanor made her easy to be around, and drew so many close to her. When asked by one of his daughters what made Jay fall in love with Susie and eventually want to marry her, he responded, “The more I spent time with her, the more I realized there was not one person who had an unkind thing to say about her. She was loved and respected by many.”

Susie is survived by her daughters, Emily Davis, Claudia Davis, Olivia Davis, Katie (Nathan) Seidel and Bailey Davis. Additionally, she is survived by her brothers Jimmy Erday, Ronnie Erday, Bobbie (Debbie) Erday and Jeff Erday; her sisters-in-law Peggy Erday and Kathy (David) Miller; three nephews, two nieces and their families. She is preceded in death by her husband- Samuel Jay Davis III; parents, Victor Erday Jr. and Maria Agustina Moreno Erday; brother, Victor Erday III; mother-in-law Betty “BD” Davis, and sister-in-law Rebecca Stepro.

A Celebration of Life will be held on February 23, 2024 at 5:00pm at Oviedo Amphitheatre & Cultural Center at Center Lake Park, 357 Center Lake Ln, Oviedo, FL 32765. In line with Susie’s laidback and cheerful nature, the Celebration of Life will be a casual event to gather family and friends to celebrate the life of an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother and friend. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory to No Bats Baseball Club or any organization to which you feel closely connected. For donations to No Bats Baseball Club, please send checks in memory of Susie to Ted Darby, Treasurer: 5336 Seascape Lane, Plano, TX 75093 Susie often asked her daughters about their favorite non-profits or local churches, when she had “extra money to give away.”