Tom Davis, 87, former insurance exec became wood carver
February 20, 2025
Thomas Davis of Pawleys Island died Feb. 10 at Georgetown Memorial Hospital surrounded by his family. He was 87.
He was born July 23, 1937, in Clarksville, Pa., the son of Thomas and Irene Davis, a third-generation coal mining family.
Known as “Chief” growing up, Tom attended Jefferson Morgan High School, where he ran track and field. He was known in town for the cars he drove, such as his black 1955 T-Bird convertible, and as a superb dancer.
Following high school, he met his future wife, M. Elizabeth Davis, in 1957 at Blanche’s Dairy Bar where they danced the night away. In 1958, Tom joined the Army and proposed to Betty. They were married for 62 years until her death in 2021.
They began their journey together at Fort Riley, Kan., before Mr. Davis was stationed in Germany with the Eighth Infantry Division. They had many adventures traveling in Europe. They returned to the United States in 1961 and began to build their family.
They moved to Arlington, Va., where Mr. Davis embarked on a 35-year career with Allstate Insurance. The family moved many times with Allstate as he climbed the corporate ladder, living in Houston, Roswell, Ga., and Libertyville, Ill., before retiring to Pawleys Island, where they had spent many family vacations.
Mr. Davis was active in his children’s and grandchildren’s activities including education, sports, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, boating on the Waccamaw River and Pawleys Creek, and taking long walks on the beach.
His own hobbies included photography. He took many outstanding wildlife photos and family portraits that he developed in his own dark room. He also enjoyed carving and painting duck decoys, seagulls and other waterfowl to sell that turned into a small business called Quackers & Cats. The exquisite birds were sought after by family and friends.
Mr. Davis was also a master gardener, whose garden, filled with hydrangeas and azaleas and a koi pond, was a popular destination on the Heritage Garden Walk for many years.
Mr. Davis was remembered for his dry sense of humor, but preferred to be in the background while enjoying his wife, whose nickname was “Mayor of Libertyville and Pawleys Island,” be the life of the party. He was also someone who was always willing to lend a hand.
He converted to Catholicism in 1978, after many years of faith filled inspiration from his wife, a life-long devoted Catholic. He volunteered at Father Pat’s Kitchen and was a member of the Knights of Columbus.
He is survived by his children, Lisa Godfrey (Michael) of Libertyville, Lauren Davis of Pawleys Island and Scotty Davis (Sydney) of Fairfax Station, Va.; his grandchildren, Morgan Davis and Hannah Davis; his sisters-in-law, Margaret Horn (Keith Gwyn) of Frederick, Md., and Evelyn Bullick of Aurora, Colo.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
His sister Bobette Davis died before him, as did his brothers-in-law, Daniel Bullick and Robert Horn, and another sister-in-law, Marcy Fraber.
A funeral mass and celebration of life will be held Feb. 28 at 2 p.m. at Precious Blood of Christ Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at alzfdn.org or Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.org.
There is a guest book at goldfinchfuneralhome.com.
