Born June 19, 1912, in Buckingham County, he was the son of the late William Pasker Davis and Elizabeth Newton Davis. He was married on November 28, 1933, to the late Lillie Mae Estes of Charlottesville, who preceded him in death in 1973.
He was a dedicated farmer, a self-taught veterinarian, and a trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He started his career at the age of 18 training horses for A. B. Hancock of Ellerslie Farm and for Marshall Field of Chicago. In 1939 he moved to Somerset Farm on Scottsville Road and trained horses for Martin A. Madden, brother of the wellknown 1920's New York mob gangster of Hell's Kitchen, Owney "The Killer" Madden, who was also owner of the Cotton Club in New York City.
Some of the famous thoroughbreds that he trained included the stallion "Fair Boy", "Ned's Queen" and "Girlette", who won numerous races at Narraganset Park in the 1940's. During his career, he traveled up and down the east coast transporting horses to racetracks from Boston, Massachusetts, Narraganset Park, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, New York, Aiken, South Carolina, Lexington, Kentucky and to the grand dame of racing tracks, Hialeah in Florida.
In the early 50's, he moved to Rosemont Farm, Ivy and was a Farm Manager raising Black Angus feeder calves. He retired in 1983, and moved to Cottonwood Farm in Crozet.
He is survived by three daughters, Doris Harlan and her husband, John, of Charlottesville, Fay Taylor and her husband, Bertrand, of Naples, Florida and Alexandria, Virginia, and Dale Rebecca Ray of Ivy, Virginia; three grandchildren, Tracy Driscoll Sullivan and her husband, John, of Fort Hunt, Virginia, Bethany Driscoll Robertson and her husband, Dean, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Timothy David Ray of Ivy; and five great-grandchildren, Kent and Kurt Sullivan, Parker, Maecy and Griffin Robertson. He is also survived by his special friend, Ethel Ray Keckley and her son, Michael Keckley of Ivy, Virginia. His brothers include, John Pasker Davis, who died at birth, William Sylvester Davis, who died at 19. His two surviving brothers are G. Jackson Davis of Waynesboro and Arthur Melvin Davis of Scottsville. He had five sisters, Lucy Elizabeth Melton, Eva James Melton Rogers, Mary Ellen Melton Blackman, Margaret Frances Thacker and Hannah Virginia Baker, all deceased. His parents also raised two grandchildren, Malcolm Harris "Bud" Melton, who served in World War II and died at the Battle of the Bulge, and Samuel Lewis Melton, deceased.
He became a member of the Slate Hill Baptist Church, at the age of 17, when he and a group of friends, including his future wife, Lillie Estes, were baptized.
He was a dedicated farmer, a self-taught veterinarian, and a trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He started his career at the age of 18 training horses for A. B. Hancock of Ellerslie Farm and for Marshall Field of Chicago. In 1939 he moved to Somerset Farm on Scottsville Road and trained horses for Martin A. Madden, brother of the wellknown 1920's New York mob gangster of Hell's Kitchen, Owney "The Killer" Madden, who was also owner of the Cotton Club in New York City.
Some of the famous thoroughbreds that he trained included the stallion "Fair Boy", "Ned's Queen" and "Girlette", who won numerous races at Narraganset Park in the 1940's. During his career, he traveled up and down the east coast transporting horses to racetracks from Boston, Massachusetts, Narraganset Park, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, New York, Aiken, South Carolina, Lexington, Kentucky and to the grand dame of racing tracks, Hialeah in Florida.
In the early 50's, he moved to Rosemont Farm, Ivy and was a Farm Manager raising Black Angus feeder calves. He retired in 1983, and moved to Cottonwood Farm in Crozet.
He is survived by three daughters, Doris Harlan and her husband, John, of Charlottesville, Fay Taylor and her husband, Bertrand, of Naples, Florida and Alexandria, Virginia, and Dale Rebecca Ray of Ivy, Virginia; three grandchildren, Tracy Driscoll Sullivan and her husband, John, of Fort Hunt, Virginia, Bethany Driscoll Robertson and her husband, Dean, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Timothy David Ray of Ivy; and five great-grandchildren, Kent and Kurt Sullivan, Parker, Maecy and Griffin Robertson. He is also survived by his special friend, Ethel Ray Keckley and her son, Michael Keckley of Ivy, Virginia. His brothers include, John Pasker Davis, who died at birth, William Sylvester Davis, who died at 19. His two surviving brothers are G. Jackson Davis of Waynesboro and Arthur Melvin Davis of Scottsville. He had five sisters, Lucy Elizabeth Melton, Eva James Melton Rogers, Mary Ellen Melton Blackman, Margaret Frances Thacker and Hannah Virginia Baker, all deceased. His parents also raised two grandchildren, Malcolm Harris "Bud" Melton, who served in World War II and died at the Battle of the Bulge, and Samuel Lewis Melton, deceased.
He became a member of the Slate Hill Baptist Church, at the age of 17, when he and a group of friends, including his future wife, Lillie Estes, were baptized.
Born June 19, 1912, in Buckingham County, he was the son of the late William Pasker Davis and Elizabeth Newton Davis. He was married on November 28, 1933, to the late Lillie Mae Estes of Charlottesville, who preceded him in death in 1973.
He was a dedicated farmer, a self-taught veterinarian, and a trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He started his career at the age of 18 training horses for A. B. Hancock of Ellerslie Farm and for Marshall Field of Chicago. In 1939 he moved to Somerset Farm on Scottsville Road and trained horses for Martin A. Madden, brother of the wellknown 1920's New York mob gangster of Hell's Kitchen, Owney "The Killer" Madden, who was also owner of the Cotton Club in New York City.
Some of the famous thoroughbreds that he trained included the stallion "Fair Boy", "Ned's Queen" and "Girlette", who won numerous races at Narraganset Park in the 1940's. During his career, he traveled up and down the east coast transporting horses to racetracks from Boston, Massachusetts, Narraganset Park, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, New York, Aiken, South Carolina, Lexington, Kentucky and to the grand dame of racing tracks, Hialeah in Florida.
In the early 50's, he moved to Rosemont Farm, Ivy and was a Farm Manager raising Black Angus feeder calves. He retired in 1983, and moved to Cottonwood Farm in Crozet.
He is survived by three daughters, Doris Harlan and her husband, John, of Charlottesville, Fay Taylor and her husband, Bertrand, of Naples, Florida and Alexandria, Virginia, and Dale Rebecca Ray of Ivy, Virginia; three grandchildren, Tracy Driscoll Sullivan and her husband, John, of Fort Hunt, Virginia, Bethany Driscoll Robertson and her husband, Dean, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Timothy David Ray of Ivy; and five great-grandchildren, Kent and Kurt Sullivan, Parker, Maecy and Griffin Robertson. He is also survived by his special friend, Ethel Ray Keckley and her son, Michael Keckley of Ivy, Virginia. His brothers include, John Pasker Davis, who died at birth, William Sylvester Davis, who died at 19. His two surviving brothers are G. Jackson Davis of Waynesboro and Arthur Melvin Davis of Scottsville. He had five sisters, Lucy Elizabeth Melton, Eva James Melton Rogers, Mary Ellen Melton Blackman, Margaret Frances Thacker and Hannah Virginia Baker, all deceased. His parents also raised two grandchildren, Malcolm Harris "Bud" Melton, who served in World War II and died at the Battle of the Bulge, and Samuel Lewis Melton, deceased.
He became a member of the Slate Hill Baptist Church, at the age of 17, when he and a group of friends, including his future wife, Lillie Estes, were baptized.
He was a dedicated farmer, a self-taught veterinarian, and a trainer of thoroughbred racehorses. He started his career at the age of 18 training horses for A. B. Hancock of Ellerslie Farm and for Marshall Field of Chicago. In 1939 he moved to Somerset Farm on Scottsville Road and trained horses for Martin A. Madden, brother of the wellknown 1920's New York mob gangster of Hell's Kitchen, Owney "The Killer" Madden, who was also owner of the Cotton Club in New York City.
Some of the famous thoroughbreds that he trained included the stallion "Fair Boy", "Ned's Queen" and "Girlette", who won numerous races at Narraganset Park in the 1940's. During his career, he traveled up and down the east coast transporting horses to racetracks from Boston, Massachusetts, Narraganset Park, Rhode Island, Saratoga Springs, New York, Aiken, South Carolina, Lexington, Kentucky and to the grand dame of racing tracks, Hialeah in Florida.
In the early 50's, he moved to Rosemont Farm, Ivy and was a Farm Manager raising Black Angus feeder calves. He retired in 1983, and moved to Cottonwood Farm in Crozet.
He is survived by three daughters, Doris Harlan and her husband, John, of Charlottesville, Fay Taylor and her husband, Bertrand, of Naples, Florida and Alexandria, Virginia, and Dale Rebecca Ray of Ivy, Virginia; three grandchildren, Tracy Driscoll Sullivan and her husband, John, of Fort Hunt, Virginia, Bethany Driscoll Robertson and her husband, Dean, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, and Timothy David Ray of Ivy; and five great-grandchildren, Kent and Kurt Sullivan, Parker, Maecy and Griffin Robertson. He is also survived by his special friend, Ethel Ray Keckley and her son, Michael Keckley of Ivy, Virginia. His brothers include, John Pasker Davis, who died at birth, William Sylvester Davis, who died at 19. His two surviving brothers are G. Jackson Davis of Waynesboro and Arthur Melvin Davis of Scottsville. He had five sisters, Lucy Elizabeth Melton, Eva James Melton Rogers, Mary Ellen Melton Blackman, Margaret Frances Thacker and Hannah Virginia Baker, all deceased. His parents also raised two grandchildren, Malcolm Harris "Bud" Melton, who served in World War II and died at the Battle of the Bulge, and Samuel Lewis Melton, deceased.
He became a member of the Slate Hill Baptist Church, at the age of 17, when he and a group of friends, including his future wife, Lillie Estes, were baptized.
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