Thomas Walter Davis Sr.

Thomas Walter Davis, Sr.; 88; a long-time resident of Friendswood, TX; passed away on Tuesday; December 7, 2021 in Madisonville, TX. A celebration of Thomas’s life is scheduled for 11AM on Friday; January 28, 2022 at Friendswood Friends Church in Friendswood, TX with Pastor David Bridges officiating. The burial will follow the service at Friendswood Friends Cemetery with military honors and a reception will follow. Serving as pallbearers are: Dereck Campise, Matt Bowman, Nate Hicks, Kasyn Hagaman, and Jason Smith. Serving as honorary pallbearers are: Thomas W. Davis, Jr., Steve McFarland, Hayden Campise, Jonathan Hicks, Luke Bowman, and Whitland Hagaman. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Youth Group at Friendswood Friends Church (502 South Friendswood Drive; Friendswood, TX 77546; telephone #281-482-7821, or your choice of another organization. NASA will also be honoring Thomas on January 27, 2022 with an outdoor flag ceremony with a flag being flown over Mission Control Center. Tom “Cooter,” as he was known to his family and friends, was born on March 16, 1933 in Hattiesburg, MS to Grover Cleveland and Maude (Bruce) Davis. He grew up in The Depression and started working when he was just a kid. He hitched a ride to Camp Shelby to sell peanuts and newspapers to the soldiers stationed there, and even shined their shoes. When he was about 12, he bought a red scooter to get back and forth to Camp Shelby. In high school, he worked in a shoe store in Downtown Hattiesburg – he always said he never would have thought of asking his parents for money. Tom was an avid football fan and told of how when he was a kid, he climbed the fence at The University of Southern Mississippi to watch the football games. As a young boy, he belonged to “Boys Brotherhood” led by Captain Black and had close ties with the other men from that group throughout the years. Tom never got into any trouble and was proud to say he grew up as a non-smoker with no alcohol or drugs. Tom graduated high school in Hattiesburg and entered The United States Air Force in December of 1951 where he attended tech school in Cookeville, TN. He then boarded a ship to Germany where he spent three years in Germany and France and then returned to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama for the remainder of his initial enlistment. Tom took a job with a supply company in the New Orleans, LA area and then re-enlisted in the USAF in December of 1955 and was stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS followed by being stationed in Mississippi City, MS which was the headquarters for technical training. It was at TTAF in 1957 where he met and married his wife of sixty-four years, Dot, who was working as a civil servant there. In 1958, TTAF closed and consolidated with Air Training Command in San Antonio, TX. He and Dot were transferred to ATC, and after his honorable discharge as a Staff Sergeant earning the Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), The National Defense Medal, The Good Conduct Medal, and the Air Force Longevity Service Medal; he became a civilian working for ATC. It was in San Antonio where Thomas Walter Davis, Jr. was born. Tom was offered a job with NASA and began his NASA-MSC (renamed JSC) career in January of 1963 and welcomed daughter Sandra Ann in September. In addition to his job, he spent seven years as an assistant scout master to Jim Elk of Friendswood Troop 445 and retired after Tom, Jr. became an Eagle Scout. Tom spent hours watching his son and daughter play softball and drove miles to spend all day at daughter Sandie’s gymnastics meets. After retiring in 1990, Tom fished, golfed, and for two years delivered meals on wheels in Friendswood and volunteered at Southeast Memorial Hospital. He parked his camper at Bethany Creek Resort in East Texas and fished and golfed until Dot got there on the weekends. After Dot retired, he continued playing golf and they went on a couple of cruises. They then bought a RV and camped at Marina Village in Westwood Shores in Trinity, TX. After thirty-four years in Friendswood, they sold their home and bought a home in Westwood Shores. They RV’d all over the country, often taking grandchildren with them and they loved it. They enjoyed five years at Westwood Shores and got homesick for friends in Friendswood and two years ago, they moved to Huntsville, TX to be near family. Tom lived a Christian life and lived for his family; there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for them. Tom was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, M. Margaret Sherblon, Grover Cleveland Davis, Jr., and James R. Davis. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy “Dot” (Smith) Davis of Huntsville, TX; his children, Thomas Walter Davis, Jr. (Dorothy) of Lexington, TX and Sandra Davis McFarland (Steve) of Leona, TX; his grandchildren, Dereck Anthony Campise of Fairfield, TX, Courtnee Campise Bowman (Matt) of Liverpool, TX, Emmalee McFarland (Nathan Hicks) of Madisonville, TX, Paige McFarland Hagaman (Kasyn) of Madisonville, TX, Michael Harper (Enesh) of Conroe, TX, and Greg Harper of Fort Worth, TX; his great grandchildren, Isabella Ann Campise, Hayden Lane Campise, Kinsley Bowman, Karley Bowman, Luke Bowman, Jonathan Don Hicks, Raelynn Kathleen Hicks, and Whitland Davis Hagaman; his brotherin-law, Jason Samuel Smith (Stephanie) of Crossville, TN; his nieces, Cheryl Sherblon-Payne (Denney) of Granite Bay, CA and Pam Davis Simek (Leonard) of Bossier City, LA; his nephews, Jim Sherblon (Sue) of Lodi, CA and Ken Davis of Bossier City, LA; and many great nieces and nephews.

Thomas Walter Davis Sr.

March 16, 1933 - December 7, 2021

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Thomas Walter Davis Sr.

March 16, 1933 - December 7, 2021

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