Mr. John Spencer Davis Jr.

Happy Moments PRAISE GOD. John S. Davis, Jr., son of John and Lillian Davis was born on December 14; 1924 in Patterson, Louisiana, the third of five children, and spent many happy moments growing and learning through the Louisiana educational system; first at Claiborne Parish Training School in St. John, Louisiana followed by a Bachelor of Science Degree in elementary education at Grambling State University, formerly known as Grambling Negro Normal College. Throughout those years he also excelled in several sports, including football where the Grambling newspaper coined the nickname John "Gone with the Wind" Davis because of his lighting speed as a running back ... Baseball, where he enjoyed many accolades as one of the best players on the Homer baseball team, as well as .tennis, golf and bowling before there was an Arthur Ash, Tiger Woods or George Branham! John then returned to Homer, LA where he not only taught history, science and -biology at the high school, but met and married the love of his life Dorothy Walker, known and loved by all, as "Bootsie." What first caught his eye was how she could cut a rug on the dance floor. She was so quick on her feet, that John "Gone with the Wind" Davis almost didn't catch her. But he was so glad he did! This union was blessed by three wonderful children, John III, Patricia, and Sharon. Feeling the need to continue his education, John attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he received his Masters of Science Degree in Administration in 1949. Following his sister Leonez, and the many opportunities in the north, John's life journey led him to Milwaukee, WI where he became a sixth grade teacher at. Garfield Elementary School for 13 years before Central Office offered him the position of Supervisor of Federal Projects for the Milwaukee Public School System. After holding that position for two years, the social unrest of the 60's required his return to a more hands on participation in the MPS school district. He was appointed to Palmer elementary School in 1967 where he served as the second African-American principal in Wisconsin. Shortly after arriving at Palmer, he was reassigned to Robert Fulton Junior High School where he had an illustrious career that spanned from 1968 to 1984. During that time period he was also the president of the Junior High School Principals' Association and mentored and educated many students and teachers alike. Another of his happiest moments came when he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, a service organization that is a pillar for positive change in the African-American and global community. He participated in many of the activities including co-chairing the Alpha's annual Beautillion for young men, a program focused on preparing them for college and beyond. Always interested in uplifting young people, John acted as a mentor, encouraging leadership, brotherhood and academic excellence. Difficult Moments SEEK GOD Being part of what we call the "Greatest Generation" was not without its adversities. John saw many difficult moments, first growing up in the Great Depression, then years later in service to his country as a United States Marine. He served with honor and distinction in World War II, stationed first at Camp Lejeune Montford Point in North Carolina. He later saw combat against the Japanese in both Saipan and Okinawa. He was on his way to Japan when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. There were many times when John needed to seek God's presence and strength. His favorite scripture was "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." He was honorably discharged from the Marines in January of 1946 holding the rank of Corporal, having obtained expertise as a weapons qualified rifle sharp shooter. Quiet Moments WORSHIP GOD Worshipping God was a part of who John was. He didn't send his children to church, he took them. John was brought into God's Kingdom at an early age joining Ebenezer Baptist Church in Homer, Louisiana. You see, John was a PK ... a preacher's kid. So worshipping God, singing in the choir and participating in any number of activities was par for the course. Actually, he said he had to be at church every time the doors opened. When he had children of his own, he made sure they had their own foundation and roots in the church. This was important to him since he knew he would have to leave them one day, but that Jesus would never leave or forsake them. Being the educator that he was, John taught them to love words, while leading them to Jesus and the love of THE WORD. When John arrived in Milwaukee he joined Canaan Baptist Church where he was a faithful member for 49 years until he returned to live in Louisiana in 2005 after the passing of his wife. Upon his return to Homer, LA he reunited with Ebenezer Baptist Church where he served as a deacon until his health failed in 2014. He returned to Milwaukee to be close to his children. One of his first priorities was to find a new church home. He remembered one of his good friends and former staff member at Robert Fulton Junior High, Archie Ivy, now pastor of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and joined his congregation where he was welcomed with opened arms. Painful Moments TRUST GOD Painful moments are a part of life, but John trusted in the Lord during one of his most painful times, the loss of his beloved wife of 57 years Dorothy, followed a few years later by the loss of his three remaining siblings within a year of each other. Shortly after that, John found himself having to trust the Lord again facing his own personal battle with cancer. John, like Job, trusted that the Lord would get him through this ... "Though he slay me yet will I trust Him!" God in His faithfulness strengthened and kept him until it was time to go to his eternal home. Every Moment THANK GOD We the family ofJohn S. Davis, Jr. do thank God every moment for his life. We are thankful that God made him the type of man that was a disciplinarian when we needed it but, forever the loving father: We are thankful that God gave him intellect, as well as a sense of humor that included many jokes and pranks, and even magic tricks with disappearing oranges. We are thankful that God instilled in him a love of family and allowed him to take us on countless trips to Louisiana so we would know our family and learn of our roots. We are thankful for the music he introduced into our lives, from jazz and country to classical and gospel. He exposed us to it all. We thank God that he taught us to how to love and respect others ... and to live a life with integrity and honesty. We thank God that that through our father's hard work and efforts, he was able to afford us an education, but also teach us to not be afraid to get our hands dirty and fix things. We thank God that John was a man who loved his family and his extended family. They gave him great joy. We thank God that John S. Davis, Jr. was a man of excellence and that he taught us to strive for excellence too. In fact, if you ever talked with him long enough to ask him how he was, his response would always be "Excellent!" He became known as Mr. Excellent! But what we thank God for the most, is His Son Jesus Christ ... that through His sacrifice and gift of salvation, we are assured of john's etemal resting place and have the comfort that we will see him again! On July 19, 2015 the Lord called his servant home. John passed through the gates of splendor and is resting in His Savior's anus. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 57 years, Dorothy; his parents, John and Lillian Davis; his brothers Frank, Clarence and Winfred Davis; sister Leonez Davis; Mother-in-law Lizzie Blackmon. His memory will forever be cherished by his family. His devoted children, John III, Patricia Williams-France, Sharon (Gregory) Patterson, all of Milwaukee, WI; Five loving grandchildren, Norris Williams, Jr., Nia ( David) Harris, Mallory Davis, Katherine Smith and Eliot Patterson, all of Milwaukee, WI; four great-grandchildren, Nasir, Jordan, Simone and Aleyah, all of Milwaukee, WI; niece Tonita Franklin and nephew Clarence (Adrian) Davis of Houston, TX; special friend Mable Randle Hay; and a host of family and friends.

Mr. John Spencer Davis Jr.

December 14, 1924 - July 19, 2015