Alan Harris Davis

1939 - 2025

Alan Harris Davis

Sep 10, 1939 - Nov 22, 2025

Alan Harris Davis, beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother, and friend, passed away on November 22, 2025, at Deerfield Retirement Community in Asheville, N.C., surrounded by his loving family and his faithful dog, Charlie.

Alan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, followed by the Mercer University School of Pharmacy, where he met his first wife, Elaine Scharfman Davis, while living in Atlanta. The couple married and later returned to his hometown of Winston-Salem, where they managed the family business, Read's Drugs, which later became Read's Uniform Center and continues to operate to this day. Together, they raised their beloved family and shared a wonderful 42-year marriage until Elaine's passing from pancreatic cancer.

Alan was a devoted member of Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem for more than 80 years, during which time he held nearly every position of leadership. He was deeply involved in fundraising efforts, particularly through the United Jewish Appeal, working at the local, state, and national levels to support the State of Israel. A true pillar of the Jewish community, Alan was profoundly dedicated to his faith and to the community that nurtured it.

Alan shared 20 years with his wife, Kathryn Williams, beginning a new and fulfilling chapter in his life. Together, they enjoyed living and working in New York, while also spending time in Winston-Salem, the place they both called home. During those years, they traveled extensively and immersed themselves in the rich cultural life of New York City. Alan often remarked on how fortunate he was to have experienced two great loves in his lifetime.

Alan was a lifelong entrepreneur, energized by business challenges and the many opportunities he encountered as a business development expert and consultant. His final venture was the founding of Novare Biologistics, a company that provided essential services to major research facilities in the greater New York City area and beyond. This enterprise stood as the professional accomplishment of which Alan was most proud.

After selling Novare in 2017, Alan and Kathryn moved to Deerfield, where he quickly became one of the community's most respected and beloved leaders. He was elected to two terms on the Resident Council and chaired several resident committees. Beyond Deerfield, Alan remained deeply engaged in the broader community - mentoring members of the UNC Asheville women's basketball team, reading with elementary school students, delivering Meals on Wheels, and volunteering with his therapy dog, Charlie, to visit residents in skilled care and assisted living.

A proud Rotarian, Alan - true to form - was soon named social chairman of his local chapter. He also helped organize a large volunteer effort to deliver potable water daily for weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

In addition to his unquestionable integrity, Alan will be remembered most for how he made people feel. His warmth, kindness, and deep empathy touched everyone he met. He had a rare and remarkable gift for making each person feel as though they were his very best friend.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Joe Davis, and his wife, Elaine Scharfman Davis. He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Williams; his sister Beverly Grassgreen of Marietta, Ga.; his son Ben Davis of Alameda, Calif.; his daughter Margot Gorman (Tim) of Asheville, N.C.; his grandchildren Jonah Hodes (Marisa), Molly Eglowstein (Cole), and Emma Hodes (Carter Rhyne) of Raleigh, N.C.; and the many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren he and Kathryn joyfully shared when they blended their families.

Alan's legacy endures in the countless lives he touched, the communities he helped strengthen, and the love he gave so freely.

The funeral service will be conducted at 11 am on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 , by Rabbi Mark Cohn and Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker at Temple Emanuel, 201 Oakwood Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. Burial will follow at Mount Sinai Cemetery.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the exceptional care Alan received during his time in hospice at Haden House a part of the Deerfield Retirement Community. The nurses, CNAs and entire staff treated Alan with kindness, respect, and dignity. Equally, the empathy and concern they showed our family did not go unnoticed, and it provided much-needed support during an incredibly challenging time.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to The Helen and Joseph Davis Education Fund at Temple Emanuel, 201 Oakwood Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27103, or the Deerfield Charitable Foundation,1617 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, N.C., in memory of Alan Davis. Condolences may be shared online at www.salemfh.com.

Salem Funeral & Cremation Service

120 S. Main St.