John William Davis ’49

John William Davis ’49, who lived in Alice and San Antonio, Tex., went to be with the Lord Jesus Christ on Aug. 12, 2011. He was one month shy of his 83rd birthday. Davis was born in St. Augustine, Tex., on Sept. 12, 1928. He was the second son of three siblings. Davis’ father, James Ludwell Davis, Sr., was a well-known pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Alice, Tex., and in San Antonio. He and his father helped raise funds for the Little Church of La Valletta to serve the street people in the 40s and 50s. Much of Davis’ inspiration came from his father, who was a pioneer missionary to the Alabama Coushatta Indians in the 1920s. Rev. Davis was on the board of trustees at Morningside Manor and was pastor at Highland Park Presbyterian Church San Antonio. Davis graduated from Trinity University in late 1949. He later taught at Peacock Military Academy. Davis was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Although he qualified to become an officer and was accepted as a midshipman in the Navy, the draft caught him first, and he was inducted into the Army. Davis suffered a mental breakdown due to the combat conditions during the Korean War. His family would have to care for him for the next 50 years. Davis’ brother, James Ludwell Davis, Jr., became his primary caretaker for the greater portion of that time. His longtime friends were Don Hinton, Joe Jackson Frazier, and David and Yolanda Harrison.