Mr. William Rubin Davis

In Loving Memory Of: William Rubin Davis was born May 18, 1955 in Detroit, Michigan to Willie Ann Davis and Samuel Ries. He was baptized in the Catholic Church at an early age and devoutly served as an altar boy during his youth. It was important to Willie Ann that William receive a Catholic education, but since she was unable to pay the full tuition, William funded his education by working summers at his school, completing janitorial duties. While in high school, William played both basketball and softball and writing was his favorite subject. He graduated from Holy Redeemer High School in 1973 and attended the University of Michigan on a scholarship to pursue a degree in journalism. Called by love, William left U of M to marry his high school sweetheart, Grayce Diana “Diane” Jackson. William and Diane celebrated 45 years of wedded friendship and partnership together. To this union four daughters were born, LaDonna, Trina, Dina and Grayce. He poured all that he had into his girls, and balanced being a strict disciplinarian, while also being a supportive and loving father. The Davis girls fondly remember beautifully written letters and text messages and very, very, very long voicemail messages from “Dad here.” These letters and messages were deep expressions of his love, thoughtful opinions on politics and current events or offered advice to his girls and will be sorely missed. William was employed by the Chrysler Motor Corporation for 2 years as a spot welder and then with the State of Michigan as a Resident Care Aide (RCA III) where he worked at Northville Psychiatric Hospital. When Northville closed in 2003, he transferred to Walter Reuther Psychiatric Hospital where he worked until his retirement in January 2011. William took great pride in providing care to his patients and saw the importance of treating those under his care with dignity. Athletics was a big part of William’s life. One of his favorite pastimes was kicking back with a cold beer to watch the Detroit Tigers. He loved his Tigers, win or lose, and remained a fan even after moving to Maryland. Known to his friends as Willie D, he also enjoyed playing softball and was the third baseman on several recreational teams. In his earlier years, he worked out regularly at the YMCA where he also played basketball and spent HOURS kickin’ it in the parking lot with the “fellas.” In his later years, William continued to be active. He worked out every day at Planet Fitness and kept busy around the house knocking out various chores. William’s favorite “extracurricular” activity was bargain shopping. In particular, he enjoyed perusing the aisles of Meijers and Big Lots, and he was no stranger to the clearance section of Walmart! Ever the provider, William kept his pantry stocked so his daughters could “shop” when their money was tight. The pantry also was a highlight for his grandchildren. Any visit with Nana and Grandpa always ended with a “care package” of treats from Grandpa’s pantry. William valued time with family. He was great at creating fun and you never knew what to expect from him. There was family hide and go seek, pie eating contests, tongue twister competitions, playing spades, family water gun fights, putt-putt outings, the Thanksgiving parade (with White Castles to follow), the infamous Christmas drink and many other laughter-filled moments.

Mr. William Rubin Davis

May 18, 1955 - August 31, 2020