John H. Davis III

John Houston Davis, III, "Skinny Davis" 80, a life-long Houston resident, died Monday, December 13, 2010, in Houston, Texas. John, a highly respected teacher and coach, was beloved by his family and his many friends who knew him to be a good and faithful servant to his family, his community, and his God.

John was born to John Houston Davis, Jr. and Gladys James Davis at Memorial Hospital on February 12, 1930, raised in Harrisburg, where the Davis family had been one of the early families of old Harrisburg, and educated in Houston schools. John and his devoted wife, Sue, have lived in Oak Forest for over 55 years.

John was an outstanding athlete at Milby High School, chosen as the outstanding baseball player in 1948 and playing in the state championship basketball tournament when Milby won third place. A "mid-termer", John graduated "early" to accept a basketball scholarship to the University of Houston, where "Skinny" Davis played four years for the Cougar basketball team, graduating in 1952, and later earned a Masters of Education. John was a proud member of Varsity H.

John and his college sweetheart, Sue Higginbotham, married in 1953 at St. Matthew's Methodist Church, where John and Sue have been active members for over five decades, serving as Sunday School teachers, on the administrative board, and as volunteers. After his retirement, John was devoted to serving his church, from mowing the lawn to working in the food pantry. John and Sue celebrated their 57th anniversary on August 1, 2010, and are parents of their cherished sons John and Mark Davis.

John's hobbies of tending his roses and photography also kept him busy. John grew beautiful roses, and he and Sue videoed many weddings and events as their gift to family and friends. Combining his love of sports, family, and photography, when his great-nephews played high school football in the 1990s at Second Baptist High School, John served as the volunteer, official game videographer on Friday nights in Grob Stadium and on the road.

On graduation, John served in the U. S. Army 1952-55 as a medic, playing on U.S. Army basketball teams, at Camp Pickett, VA, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, and Bamberg, Germany.

Coach Davis, a renowned coach in HISD, first coached at Hartman Junior High and in 1956 became the youngest head coach of a major sport in HISD at age 26 when he became the head basketball coach of Sam Houston High School. Coach Davis served as head basketball coach at Sam Houston High School for fourteen years and was proud of the outstanding young men he coached, many of whom were awarded scholarships at Texas colleges, including Baylor, Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&I, Houston Baptist University, Texas Tech, and Southwestern University. Coach Davis's players knew him to be a humble man who was genuinely concerned for their welfare, yet their ferocious defender on the court. One of John's cherished memories was receiving a collection of email greetings and tributes sent by his former students and athletes to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Coach Davis's career was spent working with young people as a history, P.E. and driver's education teacher, as a basketball and football coach, and in the summers at Memorial Park Pool as a swimming coach and at Sharpstown Country Club as the manager and swimming coach. Later in his career, John served as a school administrator, a driver's education instructor in HISD and Houston Community College, and director of daily operations when the driver's ed program was moved to HCC.

During his forty years as a teacher and coach, John's many students, players, and fellow coaches and teachers benefited from John's great humanity and concern for his fellow man. John's friendships with his many HISD teacher and coach colleagues spanned more than five decades. A great story teller, Coach Davis was a highly sought-out after dinner speaker for many organizations in Houston.

John is predeceased in death by his father, John Houston Davis, Jr., buried in the Davis family plot in the historic Glendale Cemetery, and his mother Gladys James Davis, his in-laws, Joe and Laura Higginbotham, his sister-in-law Beth Higginbotham Bitner, his brothers-in-law Sam Higginbotham and Robert H. Petty, his nephew Robert A. Petty, and niece Stephanie White Kain.

John is survived by his wife, Laura Sue Higginbotham Davis, sons John Steven Davis and friend Teri Justice of Houston and Mark Edward Davis of Los Angeles, CA, and his sister Diane Davis Howard and husband Eddie Howard of Galveston. John is survived by his sisters-in-law and brother-in-law Betty Higginbotham Petty and Harriett Wade Higginbotham, both of Houston, and Orlan Bitner of Lovelady. John is survived by his many nieces and nephews who looked on their Uncle John as another dad?Craig Anderson Howard and Cynthia Griffith, Houston, Jennifer Day of Rockport, and Elizabeth Howard, Galveston, Orlan, Janet, and Joe Bitner, Austin, Judy Bitner Barron of Tomball, Sharolyn Petty Wood, Nancy Higginbotham James, and Sam Higginbotham, Houston, Debbie Higginbotham Roberts, Big Island, Hawaii, Allen Higginbotham, Hamburg, Germany, "adopted" nieces and nephews Jean Howard Sargent of Galveston, Mike Howard of Alvin, Richard Howard of Houston, and Mark Howard of Pasadena, and his many great-nieces and nephews. John's many nieces and nephews treasure the time spent with their Uncle John at the swimming pool in the summers and at family holiday gatherings playing "42". The family may be contacted by email at [email protected].

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family on Friday, the 17th of December, from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening, at Pat H. Foley Funeral Home, 1200 W. 34th Street, Houston.

A graveside service open to all will be held on Saturday, the 18th of December at nine-thirty in the morning at Forest Park Lawndale, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, followed by a memorial service at eleven o'clock in the morning in the sanctuary of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, Rev. Frank Coats, presiding. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. Pallbearers will be his nephews and great-nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be Richard Sadler and the players coached by Coach Davis.

Memorial contributions in honor of Coach Davis may be made to St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, 4300 North Shepherd, Houston, TX 77018.