Robert Noel "Jim" Davies

1936 - 2026

Nov 19, 1936 - Jan 23, 2026

Robert Noel "Jim" Davies, of Falmouth, MA, passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 89. Jim was born in Dallas, TX, on November 19, 1936, to Helen Burr Davies and Glenn Davies.

When Jim was just a year old, his father – an accountant for International Harvester – was sent to Australia to oversee operations in the Australasian region. The family spent the next 11 years living in Melbourne, and frequent steamship travel between Australia and the United States gave Jim an early exposure to the wider world.

During World War II, Jim lived with his grandparents in Dodge City, KS, where he later graduated from Dodge City High School. A standout athlete, he played on the Dodge City High School golf team from 1950-1954 and won the Kansas State Golf Championship as a senior in 1954, beginning a lifelong passion for the game.

Jim went on to attend the University of Kansas on a Naval ROTC scholarship, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business in 1958. He played on the university's golf team and served as captain during his senior year. After graduation, he served three years in the United States Navy, including two years aboard the USS Cassin Young. He completed his service as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in Washington, D.C., where he worked as an Assistant Navy Exchange Officer in the Supply Corps.

While in the Navy he participated in President John F. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration, opening the car door for First Ladies Mamie Eisenhower and Jacqueline Kennedy. That same year, he met Judith Delaney, Miss Michigan, while serving as her assigned by height military escort at the Cherry Blossom Festival. They married on February 2, 1963, beginning a partnership that would last 44 years until Judith's passing in 2006.

After leaving the Navy, Jim built a distinguished 40-year career at Chase Manhattan Bank, specializing in trust, estate, and private banking. He completed an Executive Program at Columbia University's School of Business and served as President of the New York State Bankers Association Trust Division in 1978. He retired from Chase in 2001.

An avid golfer, Jim was a long-time member at Baltusrol Golf Club, served on numerous championship committees, and won the Senior Club Championship. He was also a member of the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda and Jupiter Hills Golf Club in Florida, and served in leadership roles with the New Jersey Golf Association, South Florida Golf Association and the Doral Eastern Open.

Outside of golf, Jim devoted himself to Oenology. A devoted wine enthusiast, he was a longtime member of the New York chapter of La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and served nationally as Chef du Protocole.

Jim was deeply committed to philanthropy, serving several charitable foundations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City, and Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Chatham, New Jersey.

Jim later shared his life with his partner, Margaret Luntz, a retired art dealer in Palm Beach, FL. He and Margie spent 13 years together, traveling the world with Margie's son David and his wife, Reagan. Jim cherished his years with Margie who preceded him in death in 2020.

Jim is survived by his children, Dr. Jill Davies (Tommy Svensson), Jamieson Davies, and Ian Davies (Alysia); his four grandchildren, Delaney Svensson, Sydney, Skylar, and Lauren Davies; and his sister, Judy Fraley Hinnergardt (Ken). He will be remembered for his integrity, warmth, affinity for strawberry ice cream and the remarkable life he lived.

Services will be private.