William M. Davis

William McKinley Davis passed from this life to the next on December 28, one day before his 94th birthday. He was enjoying a post-Christmas celebration with his family and told them how much they meant to him. Feeling ill, he took a nap, then woke in the arms of his Savior and was reunited with his beloved Georgia.

Bill was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1930, the second of 13 children. A veteran of the United States Army, he served in Germany in the early ’50s before returning home and meeting the love of his life. After two dates, he was convinced that Georgia Johnson was “the one.” And she was…for the next 70 years.

Bill was a hard worker. As a young family man, he worked by day and attended Louisville Bible College at night. He was, among other things, a foreman at Brown and Williamson, a part-time preacher, and a landscaper at Southeast Christian Church, where he worked well past the age when most men less energetic than Bill had already retired. He taught the long-running Joy Class at Southeast, where Bill and Georgia were active members for some 40 years.

In the eyes of his family, Bill could do everything—because he could. Electrical work, drywall installation, car repair, pouring concrete. If something needed building or fixing, Bill Davis was your man. His sons-in-law were forever grateful. He was an avid reader and a master gardener, who loved sharing his tomatoes. His daughters and son were forever grateful.

Though he never attended UK, Bill bled Kentucky blue and passed that Wildcat love down to his family. But his first love, after God, was Georgia, from whom he rarely spent a night away. Seven months ago, as Georgia neared her final breath, Bill leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Don’t run ahead too fast. I won’t be far behind.”

“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, they shall find rest from their labor.” (Revelation 14:13)

Bill is survived by his three children: Debbie Wagner (Carl) of Danville, KY; Vicky Ryden (Paul) of Duluth, GA; and Doug of La Grange, KY. He leaves behind five grandchildren: Brent Wagner, Lindsay Ryden, Alex Wagner, Eric Davis, and Kristen Davis.

Visitation is at Newcomers Funeral Home in Middletown, 235 Juneau Drive, Louisville KY, 40243, at 3:00 PM, Saturday January 4 with the service to follow at 5:00 PM.