DANIEL DAVIS

1936 - 2019

DAVIS--Daniel "Dan" Sheldon. Died peacefully on November 15 at the age of 83. Born September 14, 1936 to Jewish immigrants Ruth Standig and Julius Davis in Brooklyn, NY, he was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Hunter College. He was predeceased by his brother Gerald Davis. He is survived by his wife, Yona; his children, Rebecca, Jeffrey, and Michael; his grandchildren, Timothy and Megan Tarangelo; and a great many other family members and friends. Dan was a writer; he started his career as an intern in The New York Times weekend edition picture department. His hard work and intelligence got him hired on the staff and he served as a picture editor at The New York Times Magazine and an editor at The Times' News of The Week in Review section. He went on to become a special assistant to Whitney Young, Jr. at the National Urban League, writing his speeches and editing Mr. Young's book Beyond Racism. He continued in his position at the National Urban League for nearly thirty years, working as special assistant to Vernon Jordan and John E. Jacob through their successive terms as executive director. He also wrote many freelance speeches and articles. His interest in and passion for civil rights combined with his insatiable appetite for history shine in the five books he wrote: "Marcus Garvey," "Mr. Black Labor," "Struggle for Freedom," "Spain's Civil War," and his only book for young readers, "Behind Barbed Wire: The Imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II," which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. Dan was known for his sense of humor, his zeal for history, and his love of music, travel, and delicious food. His love of classical, jazz, and opera music and his discerning ear having already earned him a place within the elite audiophile community, when he retired, he turned his writing skills to reviewing high-end audio equipment and classical music. He also began writing travel articles, ranging across the globe and reporting back. Dan deeply enjoyed time with family, especially with his grandchildren on whom he doted.