Raymond Leo Davis

Raymond L. Davis of San Antonio, TX died peacefully on February 21, 2014. His family is thankful for his more than 91 years of life. He was a loving husband, brother, father, grandfather and friend to many. He never knew a stranger and loved to engage in friendly conversations wherever he went. He especially enjoyed telling his experiences during WWII.

Ray was born on September 8, 1922 in Indianapolis, IN. His parents were William E. Davis and Rosa Marie (Ludwig) Davis. Growing up, he proudly served mass as an acolyte at St. Roch Catholic School. He then graduated high school in 1940 from Southport High School in Indianapolis. As the youngest child of eight, his parents were very proud that he was the first Davis in the family to graduate.

In September 1940, after graduation, he persuaded his mother to sign papers to enlist at Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN as a private in the United States Army Air Corp. At that time, he was shipped to Chanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois for six months training. After he took an aptitude test and qualified as an airplane and engine mechanic, he went to Hawaii where he was based at Wheeler Field on the island of Oahu.

Rising early on December 7, 1941 and preparing to go to mass, he suddenly heard the roar of engines and began seeing planes with the Rising Sun emblem flying overhead through Koli Koli Pass near hangers and tents on his base. Bombs began to fall on the airplanes lined up on the flight line. One vivid and impressionistic moment he had at his young age of 19 years old was of a Japanese pilot who flew so close to the ground that his face was visible, a memory that would stay with him during his lifetime.

For four years, Ray served as a flight engineer working on B-24, 25, and 26's and after serving 42 months in the Pacific, he was sent back to the mainland. In 1945, he was transferred to Biloxi, MS and worked on the B-32 cruise control. After honorable discharge from the military as a SSgt, he re-enlisted in 1948 to fly 152 missions into Germany during the Berlin Airlift and was then awarded the Air Medal. After returning from Germany, Ray began six months of training at the Los Angeles Police Academy and become a police officer in 1950. When his mother became ill, he left L.A. to return to Indianapolis to care for her.

Ray had two previous marriages; during the first marriage his first son Ray Thomas was born, and his second marriage two daughters, Raymona Kay and Rosa Marie, were born. In 1956, he moved to Muncie, IN where he then met his loving wife of 56 years, Rosemary Fenley. They were married in June 1957 and from their marriage, he raised five children; Cheryl Rene, Mark Raymond, Theresa Michelle, Julie Rose and Laura Robyne. In 1970 the family decided to move to Texas. They have spent the last 44 years in San Antonio. He was close to and proud of his 19 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren who loved him dearly. Preceding him in death were his parents, three sisters and five brothers. He has one living brother whom he was very close to, Lewis F. Davis of Newport Beach, CA and many nieces and nephews.

During his life, he enjoyed working in sales and owned his own business. In 2001, he earned his BA in history from Cambridge University and his family was very proud of these accomplishments. Special hobbies of his were reading extensively and his love of travel. Vacation time was spent traveling on world-wide excursions which he enjoyed with his wife. He especially had much pleasure cruising and had a love for music, dancing and singing karaoke.

Ray was a proud member of the VFW Post #7108 and the American Legion Post #336. Ray was honored by the mayor of Leon Valley as an honorary member of the city. Another honor that Ray was proud to receive was his invitation to the White House during the Reagan Administration. In addition, he was recently invited to attend a ceremony at the White House for Pearl Harbor Survivors.

Ray’s family would like to personally thank all of his caregivers at Mystic Park Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center and the nurses who cared for him through Odyssey Hospice. We are especially thankful for the comfort and care that Shaun, Troi, and Victoria gave to him during this transitional time of his life. We also would like to thank Father James from St. George Episcopal Church for his spiritual guidance and his words of encouragement and blessings.

His family has requested anyone wishing to give memorials may present them to the American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/donate and Parkinson's Disease Foundation https://support.pdf.org

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 28 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Sunset Northwest Funeral Home, 6321 Bandera Road. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 1 at 10 a.m. also at the funeral home. His family will attend the columbarium services to celebrate his final resting place at St. George Episcopal Church.

Arrangements under the direction of SUNSET NORTHWEST FUNERAL HOME, San Antonio, TX.