Obituary of CLARENCE PAUL DAVIS Virginian Pilot  09-17-1996 SUFFOLK  Clarence Paul Davis, 82, of the 300 block of Elizabeth St., died suddenly Sept. 16, 1996 in his home. Mr. Davis, a native of Southampton County, Va., was a funeral assistant for the past 62 years. He began his career in funeral service with Darden Funeral Home, Branchville, and later worked with Purviance Funeral Home, Boykins. He worked with the I.O. Hill and Co. Funeral Home and Furniture Store, Suffolk for 28 years. Most recently he had worked with Foster Funeral Home, Portsmouth and Baker0Foster Funeral home, Bennett's Creek, Suffolk. Mr. Davis was an enthusiastic member of the Cosmopolitan Club of Suffolk. He was named Cosmopolitan of the Year in 1987 and 1993, and received a distinguished service award as Fund Raiser of the year in 1986. He served as club president for the 1996  96 year. He was also a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church and the Hardee's Coffee Club. Survivors include three daughters, Marie A. "Toni" Crosby of Smithfield, Va., Peggy Lou Edwards of Columbia, S.C., Mary Sue Cribb of Branchville, Va.; a son, William Thomas Davis of Midlothian, Va.; a sister, Elsie B. Tidwell of Suffolk; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Steven Paul Davis; his parents, Cecil Paul Davis and Lydia Glover Davis; and his children's mother, Mary Thomas Davis. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday in Baker-Foster Funeral Home, Bennett's Creek Chapel. Burial will follow in Liberty Springs Christian Church Cemetery, Suffolk. Friends may join the family today from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the funeral home, and at other times in his daughter's home, 505 Virginia Ave., Smithfield. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Clarence Paul Davis, born in Southampton County, died 16 Sep 1996 at his home in Suffolk at age 82. Funeral services were held 19 Sep 1996 at Baker-Foster Funeral Home, Bennett’s Creek Chapel, with burial in Liberty Springs Christian Church Cemetery, Suffolk. ––– Transcript ––– CLARENCE PAUL DAVIS SUFFOLK – Clarence Paul Davis, 82, of the 300 block of Elizabeth St., died suddenly 16 September 1996 in his home. Mr. Davis, a native of Southampton County, Va., was a funeral assistant for the past 62 years. He began his career in funeral service with Darden Funeral Home, Branchville, and later worked with Purviance Funeral Home, Boykins. He worked with the I.O. Hill and Co. Funeral Home and Furniture Store, Suffolk for 28 years. Most recently he had worked with Foster Funeral Home, Portsmouth and Baker-Foster Funeral Home, Bennett’s Creek, Suffolk. Mr. Davis was an enthusiastic member of the Cosmopolitan Club of Suffolk. He was named Cosmopolitan of the Year in 1987 and 1993, and received a distinguished service award as Fund Raiser of the Year in 1986. He served as club president for the 1995–96 year. He was also a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church and the Hardee’s Coffee Club. Survivors include three daughters, Marie A. "Toni" Crosby of Smithfield, Va., Peggy Lou Edwards of Columbia, S.C., Mary Sue Cribb of Branchville, Va.; a son, William Thomas Davis of Midlothian, Va.; a sister, Elsie B. Tidwell of Suffolk; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son, Steven Paul Davis; his parents, Cecil Paul Davis and Lydia Glover Davis; and his children’s mother, Mary Thomas Davis. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Thursday [19 September 1996] in Baker-Foster Funeral Home, Bennett’s Creek Chapel. Burial followed in Liberty Springs Christian Church Cemetery, Suffolk. Friends joined the family Wednesday [18 September 1996] from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the funeral home, and at other times in his daughter’s home, 505 Virginia Ave., Smithfield. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |--------------------------------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Name | Clarence Paul Davis | | Age | 82 years | | Birth | 1914 (estimated); Southampton County, Virginia | | Death | 16 September 1996; Suffolk, Virginia | |--------------------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | | Clarence Paul Davis | Decedent | Suffolk, Virginia | | Mary Thomas Davis | Mother of children (deceased) | Unknown | | Cecil Paul Davis | Father | Deceased | | Lydia Glover Davis | Mother | Deceased | | Marie A. "Toni" Crosby | Daughter | Smithfield, Virginia | | Peggy Lou Edwards | Daughter | Columbia, South Carolina | | Mary Sue Cribb | Daughter | Branchville, Virginia | | William Thomas Davis | Son | Midlothian, Virginia | | Steven Paul Davis | Son (deceased) | Unknown | | Elsie B. Tidwell | Sister | Suffolk, Virginia | | Seven unnamed individuals | Grandchildren | — | | Two unnamed individuals | Great-grandchildren | — | |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Location | Suffolk, Virginia | | Name | Virginian-Pilot | | Date | 17 September 1996 | |------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Native of Southampton County, Virginia • Funeral assistant for 62 years • Employed by Darden Funeral Home, Purviance Funeral Home, I.O. Hill and Co., Foster Funeral Home, and Baker-Foster Funeral Home • Member of the Cosmopolitan Club of Suffolk • Cosmopolitan of the Year in 1987 and 1993 • Fund Raiser of the Year in 1986 • Club president for 1995–96 • Member of Hillcrest Baptist Church • Member of Hardee’s Coffee Club • Spouse’s birth name: Mary Thomas [Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. Please verify critical information, as AI-generated content can include errors.] [This file is https://go-stp.com/BruceObituaries/ShowText.html?Davis, Clarence Paul.txt]