Firefighter John Morris Davis Jr., 45, laid down his life while responding to a car accident on May 7, 2016, on a Saturday afternoon. John was a kind soul with a quiet demeanor and a servant’s heart. He was selfless, a protector, and fiercely loyal to his family and friends. Therefore, it was natural that he chose as his life’s calling a profession that puts serving others at its core and personal safety at risk. John was a simple man. He enjoyed fishing and hunting. He and his best friend, Keith Thompson, started co-ed softball at church, and he enjoyed playing softball with his close friends.
John was born in Alamance County on November 26, 1970, to John Morris Davis Sr. and the late Peggy Jean Grice. He was a member of Center Ridge Presbyterian Church and the Kenly Fire Department. He also helped his close friend Sherry O’Briant every year with KAM (Kenly Area Ministries) where they would collect food for the needy families in the community for the holidays.
John was a very humble young man. He always put his family first and always showed he cared. He drove an 18-wheeler for JP Edwards moving heavy equipment full-time. When he had a free moment, it was always about spending time with his wife, family, and friends.
In addition to his father, John is survived by his wife of sixteen months, Dwaina Gurley Davis; his stepdaughter, Hanna Leigh Holland; his daughters, Courtney and Autumn Davis; half-brother, Daniel Grice; and his brotherhood of firemen with the Kenly Fire Department.
Thank you to Paul Whitehurst, the Kenly Fire Department chief, for all of his help and kind words, and to all the guys on the fire department. With the community’s help, we have started an annual fishing tournament to help fund a scholarship in memory of John that helps another young man or lady with their education.
As John would say, “Let go and let God.”
There is not a day that goes by that I do not miss this sweet man. He may not have been my father by DNA but he was my father in my eyes. Anytime I see a red cardinal, I always feel as if that is him watching over me. I miss you and I love you daddy John.
– Hanna Goodwin(Holland)–Hanna