Celebration of life remembers Davis
Brock University flags at half-mast in honour of former athletic director
A celebration of life is taking place this weekend in memory of Robert (Bob) Davis, who oversaw 10 Canadian and 31 Ontario championships as the longtime athletic director at Brock University.
Davis, who died at age 87 on March 30, also played a role in rebranding varsity teams at the St. Catharines university to Badgers from Generals in the early 1970s.
Saturday’s ceremony gets underway at 2 p.m. at Bob Davis Gymnasium, Brock’s main facility for basketball, volleyball and wrestling, which was renamed in Davis’s honour in 2002. Flags at the university will fly at half-mast during the day as part of the tribute.
Davis is being remembered as a transformative figure in athletics at Brock. During his tenure as athletic director, the number of varsity teams increased from a “handful” when he took over to 32 by the time he retired in 2001.
A native of Moose Jaw, Sask., and a master of science graduate from the University of Oregon, Davis had taught at the elementary, high school and college levels before joining the Brock faculty in 1968 as an assistant professor in the physical education department.
Over his years at the university, Davis served as a professor of physical education and acting assistant dean of the applied health sciences faculty in addition to being the director of athletics.
Lorne Adams, who was hired by Davis in 1974 and later served as athletics director, said Davis “just wasn’t a leader with athletics.”
“He was its heart and soul. No one was a bigger fan of the Badgers than Bob,” Adams said in a tribute posted online at gobadgers.ca. “I will miss his dry humour and reminiscing about our days teaching at Brock.
“Bob was incredibly organized and his character was defined by his kindness.”
Davis was inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the Brock Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 as a builder and enshrined to the Niagara Golf Wall of Recognition in 2021.