William B. Davis 1946-2021

Bill was born to Bazil R. and Lavina Harris Davis on Oct. 16, 1946. A 1964 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, he went on to attend Youngstown State University before working at Youngstown Sheet and Tube.

Bill enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1965 as an Airman First Class and served as a radio operator in Vietnam, from June of 1967 to June of 1968. He was stationed in Elkhorn, Neb., when he met Patricia Renze. They were married Sept. 7, 1968. Born to that union were Michelle, Erich and Elizabeth.

Bill began his career in law enforcement with the Fremont Police Department before eventually serving as Chief Deputy Sheriff in Dodge County, Neb. He attended the 101st session of the FBI National Academy. Bill eventually resettled in Youngstown. He reunited with high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Evans Gillam. They were married July 6, 1991. Bill was a dispatcher with the Boardman Police Department and enjoyed special relationships with his Boardman police family.

Bill will always be remembered for his contagious laugh and his love of Corvettes, classic cars and ham radio, operating as K8TUS. For more than 44 years, he sat in Turn 1 at the Indy 500 and enjoyed numerous race traditions with multiple generations of race fans. A gifted storyteller, Bill had a bright and charismatic personality. He enjoyed his car buddies, ham radio friends and 1964 Wilson High classmates. Bill never met a stranger and dearly loved all of his people.

He was preceded in death by his parents; in-laws, Robert L. and Rose Marie Evans; sisters, Mary (Tom) Wills and Jane (Jack) Ball; a brother, Harry (Betty) Davis; his beloved daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Chris Vandersnick; niece, Leslie Farrand; and nephews, James Ball and Robert Wills.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Elizabeth; children, Michelle (Robert) Kerr of Hastings, Neb. and Erich (Jill) Davis of Treynor, Iowa; stepchildren, Russell (Elizabeth) Gillam of Boardman, Chris (Jenny) Gilliam of Austintown and Elizabeth (Steve) Gardner of Pittsburgh, Pa. He also cherished his grandchildren, Emily (Cody) Lira of Omaha, Neb., Ethan (Sydney) Kerr of Omaha, Neb., Thomas and Abigail Kerr of Hastings, Neb., Michael Davis of Treynor, Iowa and Bobby Gillam of Austintown; great-granddaughter, Blakely Kerr of Omaha, Neb.; and a number of nieces and nephews who treasured their “UB.”

Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, at the Davis-Becker Funeral Home in Boardman. A funeral service, also at the funeral home, will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021, followed by interment in Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Condolences may be sent at www.beckerobits.com.

(special notice)