Thomas Lee DAVIS

DAVIS, Thomas Lee Thomas Lee Davis, 66, Lilburn, GA died on January 18, 2016. Tom, a Kappa Sigma, received a BS degree in political science from Georgia Southwestern College in 1972. He also had a MAT and Ed.S from Georgia State University. Tom enjoyed a long and successful thirty-three year career in education, beginning as a teacher and coach at Stone Mountain and Peachtree High Schools in DeKalb County. He coached the women's swim team at Peachtree High to state swimming and diving championships in 1979 and 1980. Tom's next role was as Instructional Assistant Principal at Peachtree High School. He would also serve in the same capacity at Miller Grove Junior High and Peachtree Middle School. Tom pioneered the special education "inclusion" model for the school system, and implemented this model when he was made principal of Shamrock Middle School in 1997. Under his leadership, Shamrock had great academic success and gained universal community support and favor. Recognizing the need to showcase the school's wonderfully diverse student body and academic focus, Tom initiated the Shamrock's candidacy into the International Baccalaureate Programme which became a reality in 2007 two years after he retired. Tom enjoyed reading, fishing, kayaking, and golfing. Tom spent his retirement years volunteering in various golf tournaments as well as mentoring middle-school youth in his church's confirmation classes. Tom was a loving husband for thirty-two years and devoted father.- family was everything to him and he was everything to his wife and children. Tom is survived by his father, Darold (Doc) Warren Davis, I; wife, Melodee Rose (Dismer) Davis; children, Patrick John Davis and Emily Diane Shannon and husband, Chris; brother, Darold (Buz) Warren Davis, II and wife, Laura; sister, Connie Lynn Shewchuk and husband, Mike; stepbrother, Richard (Ricky) F. Knox and wife, Suzanne; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy Henley Davis Knox; his stepfather, Robert F. Knox; and stepbrother, Bob Knox Memorial service will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1826 Killian Hill Road S.W. in Lilburn, Georgia on Saturday, January 23, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. with Pastor Jill Henning officiating. Visitation will precede service at 2:00. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Trinity Lutheran Church and The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at www.lustgarten.org.