Laurelbrook Academy SDA Church

The memorial service for Robert M. Davis, Sr. (Bob Davis) began at 1:00 p.m. on February 25, 2018 with the Laurelbrook Choir directed by Pedro Arce singing “Do Not Be Afraid”.  Mr. Bob Zollinger welcomed everyone and had opening prayer.

Angela Volpe sang “If We Could See Beyond Today”, accompanied by Mark Kent on the piano. Bob Davis’ sons Robert and Woodrow then had the eulogy.  Blake (senior) then sang “O Glorious Day”, accompanied by Jeremy Westcott on the piano.

Some notes from the eulogy:

1. Bob Davis was born September 17, 1937. 
2. After his parents’ divorce, he lived with his father and grandmother.
3. His father loved baseball and softball.  Bob Davis grew up loving these sports also.  He was so good that he was approached by a scout from the Atlanta Braves, contract in hand. But he declined due to his Christian beliefs.
4. Bob was in the Whitecoats.  He then moved to Madison for medical training as a respiratory therapist.
5. As a Laurelbrook student, he helped build the nursing home’s west wing.  He died in a room he had helped to build.
6. And in the 1980s he and his family spent 3.5 years at Laurelbrook.

Family and friends then shared their memories of Bob Davis with the Emmanuel Quartet singing several numbers in the middle. Bob’s son Joey then shared his memories in a recorded phone call.

Some notes from the audience and quartet comments:

1. Quartet sang “One Day”; Phillip shared about “Pops” on traveling with quartet ran the van out of gas. He was surprised everyone by saying “Oh ding dong”. He walked to get the gas needed as the manager of this teenage group. Next song was “I Shall Know Him” in barbershop quartet style. This was Pop’s favorite style. 
2. Tommy McDonald wanted Bob Davis as the narrator for a Laurelbrook promotional video. But Bob thought it needed a younger person to narrate it.
3. Dean Ferguson shared how Bob built a bike with a high seat that he like to use to show off. 
4. Someone shared working with him in Pathfinders in the Dothan, Alabama church and Bob diving cannon ball style into a swimming pool at a church gathering.
5. Dena Marlowe shared how he was the 1st alumni association president in the 1970s.  
6. Rodney Herra shared how Bob loved playing horseshoes at alumni campouts. Bob loved winning.   

Some notes from Joey’s phone call:

1. I knew my father 44 years 10 months. I valued Dad’s opinions even from his mistakes. 
2. Both of us loved quartets. In 1989 when I organized the Emmanuel Quartet, my parents traveled with us - Dad as driver, sound tech, manager, etc. We dedicated our 1st album to him. 
3. He always told me to be humble in any disagreement. He said, “Let it start with you.” 
4. When I knew he was near the end of his life, I was interested to know how he was with his relationship with God. I received his assurance that he had made everything right. My Dad, the peacemaker, made peace with his Maker.

Ricardo Reid, Laurelbrook Academy’s assistant boys’ dean, then sang “No More Night”, accompanied by Mark Kent on the piano. 

Pastor Harold Kuebler then had a homily, mentioning that Jesus really felt the death of His saints and wept over their departure from this world (John 11) but knew that they would eventually be with Him in heaven. The Emmanuel Quartet sang “An Irish Blessing”.   Pastor Kuebler had the closing prayer.