JEFFREY ALAN DAVIS
1949-2017
Jeffrey Alan Davis, age 67, of Houston, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, the 11th of March 2017, surrounded by his family, after a ten year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. A loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
He was born the 10th of August 1949, in San Antonio. He lived there for a year before his family moved to Houston, where he would live most of his life. He attended Will Rogers Elementary School, both Lanier and Rogers Jr. High and Robert E. Lee High School, graduating in 1967. He attended Washington & Lee University for two years where he became a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and then he completed his undergraduate education at the University of Texas in Austin in 1971 with honors. Jeff began his career in Law by attending the University of Texas Law School, graduating in 1975 with honors. He was a member of Order of the Coif.
His career began with Reynolds, Allen and Cook that same year and continued there until the firm closed its doors in 1988. After that, Jeff worked for a brief time with both the law firms Dotson, Babcock and Scoffield and Jackson & Walker, respectively. In 1991, he was approached by two of his old law school roommates to see if he would be interested in opening up the Houston office of McGinnis Lochridge and Kilgore, an Austinbased law firm. He eagerly accepted and joined the firm in August 1991 and practiced with McGinnis Lochridge until his retirement in March 2009. He served as the firm’s Managing Partner from August 1997 to August 2000 and chaired the Education & Public Law and Insurance Practice groups. His practice concentrated on insurance, employment and school/ education. He represented and counseled public education institutions and life, health disability and medical insurance companies. He was recognized by “Texas Law & Politics” as a “Texas Super Lawyer” in schools and education in 2007. He was a member of the American Bar Association, Fellow; State Bar of Texas, School Law Section (Chairman 1987-88); Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow.
He met his wife of 33 years, Lisa Davis, at Reynolds, Allen and Cook in 1980 when he hired her as a Paralegal for the litigation department. They were married in April 1984, and started their family the next year with the first of three daughters. Lisa and his three girls were the joy of Jeff ’s life. He had a great love of the outdoors, which he shared with his daughters early on. He was a big supporter of his daughters’ activities, from coaching sports teams to attending every game throughout their high school years. He and Lisa loved sailing their boat on Galveston Bay and spending time at the Houston Yacht Club, and he made sure his daughters learned to sail as well. Summers were spent at the family cabin in Estes Park, Colorado and the family lake house in Austin. Jeff also loved golf, especially in his later years when his daughters were grown. Jeff ’s servant heart was apparent in how he loved the Lord and was committed to serving his church. As a lifelong member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, he served on the Administrative Board and acted as President of the Goodwill Sunday School Class. He was a great spiritual leader for his family.
Jeff was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in October of 2007. He faced it bravely, with both dignity and grace. We are so thankful that during the last ten years he spent time as a participant at Amazing Place and had wonderful caregivers helping him at home. After nine years at home with the disease, he moved to Autumn Grove Cottage in Katy, a sixteen person residence for Alzheimer’s patients. There, friends and family visited him regularly, and he joyfully lived out the remainder of his life. God was seen in Jeff each day. His quick wit, sweet smile and kind spirit were always shining through, and he always felt he had been so blessed knowing his friends and family loved him and would help him through the disease.
Jeff was preceded in death by his parents, Ann Ebert Davis and Sam Walkup Davis; his sister, Julie Davis Driscoll and her husband, Arlen Driscoll; and his uncle, Al Ebert. He is survived by his wife Lisa Davis, his three daughters, Katelyn Davis Baroch and husband Brad, Allison Davis Frazier and husband Brent, and Rebecca Davis Jahnke and husband Kyle; three grand-children, Davis Michael Baroch, Blake Jackson Baroch and Annaleigh Claire Frazier; his sister, Jan Davis Robinson and her husband Chris; and his aunt, Kay Ebert. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Lynn Walker and husband Bill; and his brother-in-law, Will Davis, Jr. and his wife Susie, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins who loved their Uncle Jeff dearly.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six until eight o’clock in the evening on Tuesday, the 14th of March, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
The funeral service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Wednesday, the 15th of March, in the sanctuary of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 3471 Westheimer Road I Houston.
Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Fellowship Hall.
The family will gather for a private interment at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the Amazing Place, 3735 Drexel Dr., Houston, TX, 77027; to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6055 S. Loop E., Houston, TX, 77087; or to the charity of one’s choice.