Brian Samuel Davis

Dr. Brian Samuel Davis, a beloved professor, writer, friend, uncle, brother and son, passed away on March 17, 2024 at the age of 48.

Born on December 19, 1975 in Phoenix, Arizona, Brian leaves behind a legacy of teaching, creativity, and an insatiable love of entertainment. Brian is survived by his mother, Teresa Patterson-McMillan and her husband Bill McMillan, his brother Tim Davis and sister-in-law Lisa, and their children, Kasandra, Ozzie, and Troy Davis. He also leaves behind his two beloved pets, Cosima the pitbull and Maude the cat.

A graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Communication, Brian also earned a Master of Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa, a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Screen and Television from the University of Southern California, and most recently, a PhD in Management of Community College Policy and Administration from the University of Maryland. He was very fancy.

To the surprise of no one who ever spent any time talking to him, Brian was a four-time collegiate national champion in speech & debate. He was inducted into the National Forensic Association Hall of Fame in 2010. He was very, very fancy.

From 2011 until his passing, Brian inspired students as a professor at Scottsdale Community College. Brian also fulfilled his lifelong dream of working in the entertainment industry. His screenplay, Nothing, Arizona, was selected from thousands of scripts to be vetted by members of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and was honored as a semifinalist in the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. He wrote and directed the indie film Ornaments and was hired by Here! Films and Regent Releasing to write Something Evil Comes. In 2011, Brian joined the writing staff for AXN and The Group Entertainment's show The Kitchen Musical, which was nominated for Best Drama at the International Emmy Awards. Really can't emphasize enough how extremely fancy he was.

When not teaching, writing, or filmmaking, Brian immersed himself in his many hobbies - from LEGO creations to watching his favorite TV shows and movies to blowing everyone's mind with his encyclopedic knowledge of Broadway shows. Because he was not just fancy, he was also super gay.

As a huge Star Wars fan, his family thought the annual Star Wars Day celebration on "May the 4th" would be the ideal way to remember him. Join us to celebrate Brian's life at 10613 W. San Miguel Ave., Glendale AZ 85307 on May the 4th starting at 4:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to ONE·N·TEN Donate to Tax Credit (https://give.onenten.org/give/545013/#!/donation/checkout), The Arizona Humane Society (https://www.azhumane.org/memorial-and-tribute-gifts/), and the American Civil Liberties Union (https://action.aclu.org/give/support-drag-defense-fund)

Brian will be deeply missed. Please remember him any time you hear a dirty joke or obscure movie quote, tip a drag queen, or see a video of a toddler falling.