George Wilson Davies

George Wilson Davies (the "Old Coach") died February 9, 2023 at the age of 87, at his home in Gainesville, FL. He and his identical twin brother, Kent Chambers Davies, were born on July 14, 1935, in Bryn Mawr, PA, the first two of four children, to George Chambers Davies and Katharine Wilson Davies.

He graduated from Lower Merion High School in 1953, where he and his brother were on the wrestling and tennis teams, and won a national championship in a double scull. In 1957, he graduated from Wesleyan University. He was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity and a New England champion wrestler. He and his brother started lacrosse as a club sport which became a varsity sport after they graduated. He also played football in high school and college. Despite his significant athletic capabilities and accomplishments, George did not want to be known as "just a jock." He credited Wesleyan's well-rounded humanities program with broadening his world view. After graduating from college, he attended Navy Officer Candidate School and served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, in the operations division on the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Macon.

In 1960, after he was discharged from active duty, he received a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Boston University while working at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in admissions and as a wrestling coach. He later administered a scholarship program for Educational Testing Service in New Jersey. At age 29, he wanted more of a challenge and began studying at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, from which he graduated with honors. He became a partner in the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia, PA. There he specialized in municipal bond financing. When he retired from the law practice, he worked briefly pursuing U.S. acquisitions on behalf of his former client, a French industrial conglomerate, and then tried his hand in investment banking.

While at the law firm, he met Norleen "Dusty" O'Sullivan, and they were married in their home in St. Davids, PA, on June 24, 1978. George was an excellent cook and barely a holiday passed without a large dinner party. There were open house Christmas Eve buffet parties in St. Davids for which he said, "It gave mothers a break from cooking on this busy holiday." Later, when they moved to their summer home in Mirror Lake, NH, they hosted bocce tournaments raising funds for the benefit of the Mirror Lake Protective Association. The games lasted all day and into the evening and George prepared copious amounts of food and drink which kept the participants well fed and lubricated. Annual July 4th lobster parties were credited with bringing the neighborhood together. In their winter home in Gainesville, FL, George recognized that they were new to the area and noted that they would not have a full house at Christmas. So, he contacted the University of Florida's international graduate student advisor and arranged for international students to be invited for Christmas dinner. What started out with seven students, ended years later with sixty-five guests, including the students' spouses and children. They were treated to an eight-course formal dinner, all cooked by George, the "Old Coach," a name that he would use in the title of the cookbook he later published, "Cookin' with the Old Coach (Making Weight)." Not only was George a good cook, he was also a great host. He was well informed, funny, and gracious, had interesting anecdotes and left his guests hoping to be invited back.

Retirement gave George the opportunity to learn golf. For a time, he was a scratch golfer. He also worked with pottery and stained glass, and won many blue ribbons for canning and baking at the Sandwich Fair in NH. But his true love was coaching wrestling and lacrosse which he did for the next 20 years after retiring. He coached first, at Radnor Middle and High Schools, in Wayne, PA, and, after Dusty retired, at Buchholtz High School, in Gainesville. He coached middle school and high school but often said that he preferred coaching middle school students because they were malleable enough that he felt that he could really make a difference in their development.

He was a true renaissance man who shared his many talents with people of all ages, cultures, religious affiliations, and gender identity. He brought joy to many and gave his family and students the confidence to become leaders, athletes, and some, amateur cooks.

He is survived by his wife Dusty; his daughters, Carol Davies Whitaker, her husband Ken and their family David, Tara and Blake; Katharine ("Katie") O'Sullivan Davies and her son Jackson; and his son Kent Johnson Davies, his wife Linda and their children, Lauren, Kaitlyn and Matthew; his sister-in-law Carolyn Smith Davies and her children Tom (Cindy Moore), Lynn, Anne (Emily Minnis), and Ellen; his sister Katharine Davies Hale and her son, Beto Hale (Sandra Kourchenko); his brother Tom Davies (Stefanie Prestek) and their son, Jon (Liza Oesterle) as well as numerous great nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Barbara Low Davies, the mother of Carol and Kent, and his twin brother Kent. A celebration of his life with be held this summer in Mirror Lake, NH.