Thomas Wilders Davis

Thomas W. Davis, 98, a resident of the Givens Estates in Asheville, NC died on January 6, 2004 at Mission St. Joseph Hospital in Asheville. Born in Upper Nyack, NY and a long time resident of Dobbs Ferry, NY. He was the last surviving child of George F. Davis and Elisabeth Ginter Davis. He was valedictorian of the class of 1921 at Nyack High School and earned his B. S. , M. S., and PhD in chemistry at New York University. In 1929 he began his forty-four year career as a professor of Chemistry at N.Y.U. He also conducted research projects at Oak Ridge, Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratories and a sabbatical as visiting scholar at Leeds University in the United Kingdom. At various times he served as research chemist on the Manhattan Project hosted at the University of Chicago. He is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Ruth George Jahn Davis of Asheville; two sons, William F.W. Davis of Mt. Clemens, MI and James J. D. Davis of New Canaan, CT; a stepson, George P. Jahn of Spencertown, NY; seven grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren. Beyond his devotion to his family and NYU, he had a love for things outdoors; mountaineering and gardening; and for railroads and railroading history. His personal style was self-effacing modesty, always seeking to draw others out in conversation without giving a hint as to what he was all about. After retirement he and Ruth moved south and raised pine trees and vegetables. He adopted the life of the farmer, starting the day at sunrise and toiling until dusk. Visitors to the farm, who came for a restful stay, invariably left exhausted and amazed. Until he was in his early nineties, he was still gardening and mowing their lawn at the house in Burnsville, NC where he and Ruth moved, when the farm became more than they wanted to maintain. Throughout their busy lives, as if they were not busy enough, he and Ruth threw themselves into volunteering at church and various literacy projects. The recipents of his tutoring were never given a hint that they were being taught to read by a prominent nuclear chemist. The family request that any gifts and memorials may be made in the form of donations to the Givens Estates Supplemental Assistance Fund, 2360 Sweeten Creek Rd., Asheville, NC 28803. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is in charge of arrangements.