Tom I. Davis II

Tom Ivey Davis, II, 78, of New Bern, NC passed away unexpectedly on October 14th, 2024 at East Carolina Medical Center as a result of injuries sustained in an accidental fall at his home the prior evening.

Tom was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 1946 to Tom Ivey Davis and Carrie Tyson Davis at the former St. Luke’s hospital in New Bern, NC. Tom graduated from New Bern High School in 1964, after which he attended North Carolina State University as an engineering student. He left NCSU prior to graduation and served as a designer of the nuclear propulsion system of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) at the Newport News Shipyard.

Tom met his wife, Linda Ann Sawyer of New Bern, after a movie in March, 1966. They married at Riverside United Methodist Church on March 9, 1968. Tom and Linda were inseparable and raised two sons, Tom Ivey Davis III of Mooresville, NC and Matthew Curtis Davis of Pittsburgh, PA. Tom treasured his wife, children, and grandchildren.

On March 11, 1968 Tom enlisted in the United States Navy and served his country during the Vietnam War as a Cryptologic Technician. He continued to serve in the US Navy Reserve from 1973 until 1998 and attained the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. Tom was an active member of American Legion Post 24 in New Bern. He loved the US Navy and would often be seen wearing his US Navy “talk to me” SCPO hat.

Using the benefits afforded to veterans under the G.I. Bill, Tom graduated from East Carolina University in 1976 with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting, a 4.0 GPA, and the Howard Accounting Award while also raising a family in New Bern. After graduating, he joined the public accounting firm Peat Marwick (now KPMG) and passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam on his first sitting. He became a Certified Public Accountant and made a career of helping others through various health care and biotech organizations in which he served variously as chief financial, operating, and executive officer.

Being around Tom felt like being in a beam of sunlight. He was always joking, always open, always loving, always thinking, and always engaging with anyone lucky enough to be around him. He sought ways to connect with others by way of their interests, whether that be faith, cars, politics, military service, history, technology, construction, education, charitable pursuits, and so on. If you were around Tom, he would find a way to talk and connect with you in the most human of ways. He would find a way to make you laugh and feel seen.

A funeral service will be held at Grace Anglican Church in New Bern, NC at 11am on Saturday October 26. There will be a 10am visitation prior to the service. A graveside service will follow the funeral at New Bern Memorial Cemetery, where Tom will be interred among his mother, father, brother, and sister.

Arrangements by Cotten Funeral Home & Crematory.