Ira Lee Davis

1946 - 2020

DAVIS, Ira Lee Ira Lee Davis was born in Dallas on December 4, 1946, to Ishmael and Dalphine Davis, and died on August 9, 2020. An Air Force brat, Ira lived in many places in the US and abroad. After graduating from High School in Japan in 1964, he enlisted in the Army, where he served at Fort Bliss in El Paso, teaching Nike Hercules missile defense systems during the Vietnam War. He later married Janet Druen, received a BA from UTEP, and moved to Austin to pursue a Ph.D. at UT. In 1973, Ira and Janet had a son, Ira Druen Davis, and later divorced. Ira raised Druen while he was in graduate school, teaching Government at UT, UTSA, and Texas A&M, along the way. In 1981, Ira went to law school at UT. After law school, he married JoAnn Merica, and later divorced. For most of his legal career, Ira practiced criminal defense law as a board certified solo practitioner. Ira's entire legal career was devoted to the ideal that justice can be served only when defendants have a rigorous, professional, and thorough defense. Since 2014, he was Executive Director of the Capital Area Private Defender Service, a nonprofit which revamped the indigent defense system in Travis County. In 1996, Ira married Sara Rushing, and the two had three daughters, Kathryn (Katie), Elizabeth (Ellie), and Claire. All four of Ira's children brought him great joy, and he was a fantastic and very proud dad. For years, Ira enjoyed playing men's and coed soccer, and he enjoyed playing and watching most sports. He quit playing soccer only when his men's team disbanded, and he did not look for another team stating, "no team is looking for a 70-year old defender." He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, and the many people he worked with at the courthouse. Special thanks to Drs. Hellerstedt and Tokaz, and Jennifer Shaw, RN, at Texas Oncology, and to Rose Hawkins at Encompass Hospice. Ira is survived by his wife, Sara Davis, and their daughters, Kathryn, Elizabeth, and Claire; his son, Ira Druen Davis, wife Erin, and grandsons Cade and Jackson; and his two sisters, Ernestine Dahlin and Donna Murphy. A memorial service will be held (remotely) at a later date.