William Prather Bill Davis

DAVIS, WILLIAM P. William Prather Bill Davis, 90 of Waco, died Tuesday, January 04, 2005 at St. Catherine’s. Services will be held at 2pm Friday, January 7 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church with The Rev. Frank Mangum and The Rev. Chuck Treadwell officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be from 6-8pm Thursday, January 6 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Garden Room. Mr. Davis was born in Waco where he resided all of his life. He married Rosalie Jenkins Davis in 1949. He was a graduate of Fessenden School in West Newton, Massachusetts and The Hill School of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Following in the footsteps of many family members, Mr. Davis attended the University of Texas where his grandfather had been president. He attended the University of Texas School of Architecture where he received his training in architectural design and engineering. On June 15th of 1946 he began his career in the design field and later he established the business known as Braswell-Davis and Associates. In 1990 he sold his building and opened a new business with his son in the Market Place known as Davis Design Studio. Many of the outstanding residences of Waco and in Texas were designed by Mr. Davis during his illustrious career. He was elected to Council of Fellows of the American Institute of Interior Designers in 1967 in honor of his outstanding contributions to the organization. In his earlier years, he managed considerable acreage in ranch and farm lands owned by the Davis family and also was president of Brazos Valley Cotton Oil Co. of Waco. Mr. Davis has been a member of Waco Rotary Club since 1947. He has served on the boards of the Historic McCulloch House, Waco Symphony Council, Ridgewood Country Club, Hedonia Club and St. Paul’s Episcopal School. He served on the vestry of St. Paul’s Church many times and was twice senior warden of the church. Bill was a loving husband, father and friend to many. He will be sorely missed. Mr. Davis is preceded in death by son, William Prather Davis, Jr. He is survived by wife, Rosalie Jenkins Davis, son and daughter-in-law Don and Tommye Lou Davis, grandchildren Warren Davis and wife Katrina, Martha Davis, John David Whittenburg and Christi Whittenburg Roberts and husband Murray and their children Laura Cate, Cameron and Wythe. Pallbearers will be Col. William D. Bauer, Robert S. Braswell, John Thomas Davis, Henry Dietz, Edgar Jablonowski, Hal E. Stringer, and Donald H. Young. Honorary pallbearers are T. Davis Temple and Peter C. Simmon. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or St. Paul’s Episcopal School. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY