Doyle Curtis Davis

Doyle Curtis Davis of Marietta, Georgia, 90, passed away on Saturday, May 12, 2018, after a brief illness. He was born September 29, 1927, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to the late John Alexander Davis II and Lillian Eva Norman Davis. Mr. Davis is survived by his wife of 65 years, Louise Davis; daughter Sondra Kay Delaney of Marietta, Georgia; sons Ronald Curtis Davis (Kim) of Memphis, Tennessee, and Harry Leonard Davis (Joyce) of Marietta, Georgia; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Thomas Jefferson Davis of Benton, Arkansas. He is preceded in death by his parents as well as his sister, Mary Kathryn Milks and brothers Leonard Norman Davis, Johnson Terral Davis, John Alexander (Jack) Davis III, Hayden Powell (Joe) Davis, and Robert Glen (Bob) Davis. Mr. Davis was raised on the family dairy farm in Arkansas where he learned the value of hard work and reliance on strong family ties, both of which provided him with a firm handshake and a keen sense of teamwork. He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the United States Merchant Marines. He served his country in the United States Army during the Korean conflict. Following his Army service, he had a long and distinguished career with General Electric (GE), beginning as an appliance repairman and working his way up to Southern Regional Manager for Consumer Electronics, retiring in 1987. From Little Rock, Arkansas, his GE career took him to Washington, Tennessee, and Georgia. In Washington, he got his sons involved with soccer at the Boys Club of Federal Way, which was the genesis of his lifelong love of the sport. Moving to Memphis in 1968, Mr. Davis continued this love of soccer by founding the Southeast Memphis Soccer Association. Also active with the Tennessee State Soccer Association, he was a licensed soccer referee and beloved coach. When Memphis was awarded a North American Soccer League (NASL) franchise, The Rogues, he was asked to be an assessor evaluating NASL referee performance. Mr. Davis was a devoted family man and an avid fisherman who enjoyed countless hours on lakes and streams with his fishing buddies. A Past Master of the Sandy Springs, Georgia, Masonic Lodge, he participated in numerous volunteer and charitable functions for which the Masons are well-known. He was a faithful member of Eastside Baptist Church in Marietta and served his previous church, Parkway Village Baptist in Memphis, as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. His great curiosity about a myriad of topics along with his keen sense of humor meant he was always ready with a joke or story. In retirement, Mr. Davis kept busy with activities at the East Cobb Senior Center, where he discovered a talent for woodcarving which provided him with a creative outlet and afforded him long-time friendships with fellow members of the East Cobb Woodcarvers Club. His family and friends will greatly miss his smile, humor, and wit, but know without question they will see him again and enjoy a sweet reunion on Heaven’s beautiful shore. Inurnment will be at Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia. A memorial service for family and friends will take place on Friday, June 1, 2018, at 4:00 ET at the Mayes Ward-Dobbins Marietta Chapel (http://www.mayeswarddobbins.com). In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis at https://www.stjude.org/donate.

Doyle Curtis Davis

September 29, 1927 - May 12, 2018