Obituary of Hoyle H. Davis

Mr. Hoyle Hampton Davis, Sr., age 92, passed away Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at Glenbridge Health & Rehabilitation. He is survived by one son, Davy Davis of Boone and one daughter, Myra Mobley of Fairfax, VA; four granddaughters: Emily Davis Ward and husband Brandon of Elk Park, Lindsay Davis Henson and husband Chad of Sugar Grove, Kristen Davis and husband Justin Hicks of Boone and Brittney Davis of Charlotte; four great grandchildren, Tate & Brodie Ward, Gemma Henson and Gunner Hicks; sisters: Shirley Critcher and husband Lawford of Boone, Beulah Proffitt of Boone, Brothers: Paul Davis of West Virginia, James Davis and wife Kris of Florida, Johnnie Davis and wife Betty of Boone, Arlie Davis and wife Ann of Lincolnton, and Sister in law, Joyce Davis of Boone. He was preceded in death by his parents, Walter Hampton and Emma Bryant Davis, his wife, Martha Harrison Davis, two brothers: Robert Davis and Carroll Davis and two sisters: Linda Kapral and Blanche Greene. Funeral services for Mr. Hoyle Hampton Davis will be conducted Tuesday morning, March 3, at 11 o�clock at the Austin & Barnes Funeral Home, officiated by Rev. Seth Norris. Burial will follow at Mount Lawn Memorial Park & Gardens with military graveside services provided by American Legion Post 130, and Masonic graveside rites provided by Snow Lodge #363. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10 o�clock until 11 o�clock at theAustin & Barnes Funeral Chapel, officiated by Rev. Seth Norris. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hickory Ridge Museum, PO Box 295, Boone, NC 28607. Daddy loved God and Country. He was a WW II veteran, recipient of 2 Purple Hearts and a Service Ribbon with 3 bronze battle stars. He was a business owner, dedicated Mason, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, buddy, mentor, coach, leader and friend. In the early 1940�s after graduating high school he traveled from Boone to Detroit. To a place that made cars. He liked cars. While in Detroit he answered America�s call and joined the Army Air Corps and learned to fly. There was not much action in the Air Corps at the time so when the Army came looking for infantrymen, and being a young man looking for action, he decided to raise his hand. He was shipped to France in Central Europe in October 1944. It took 14 days from departure to arrival. He often told the story about how he and his buddy snuck into a small village where a family took them in, cleaned their uniforms, fed them and let them sleep in an actual bed. This family gave both of them a spoon to take with them since they had lost their Army issued utensils. They woke up the next morning to a surprise. The village had been surrounded by the enemy and they had to carefully sneak back to their unit. He never mentioned trying that a second time. He talked with compassion about the men in units sent to fight in summer uniforms in the dead of winter in France and the hardships they all faced during this difficult war. He was wounded twice and was on his way home aboard a hospital ship on D-Day. His love for cars was realized when he returned from the war. He was the proud owner of a 1940 Ford convertible and then later a 1956 Oldsmobile. It was not just cars that captured his attention. Along with a friend he also purchased a small airplane. A plane he sold after almost crashing into a haystack soon after he was married. While he was still receiving medical care related to his war wounds and traveling back and forth to the hospital he met a pretty, young woman named Martha Harrison. On June 19, 1948 they were married in her family�s living room and began life in an apartment over the old A&P store in the center of the Town of Boone. Two children, a move to a bigger apartment on Green Street, then to the house on Crest Drive, 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren all came after. Mother and Daddy were together for 55 years until her passing in 1993. As a dedicated Mason he worked his way up the degrees to Master Mason. He led, mentored and coached a DeMolay Chapter of young men. He assisted other Masons by administering the three degrees for as long as he was able. He loved to fish and hunt and often said that he always spent more time deboning the fish he caught for his children than getting to eat it himself. He once brought a squirrel home for mother to cook which did not turn out well. From then on he hunted but took the results to the neighbor. He was a man who believed that his word was as strong if not a stronger commitment than one he agreed to with his signature on a piece of paper. He conducted his business with trust and integrity. He liked things done exactly his way. He was one of a very few who could paint the ceiling of a room and not get a drop anywhere but on the ceiling. He enjoyed listening to the piano and the music he called �ole timey�. During the past several months his favorite book was the Bible. He was a true member of the G.I. Generation. This generation put their trust in government, authority and community. They put public interest above personal gain. They wore suits and ties and gave rise to the comic strip Superman. He was our heritage and our history. We loved him and will miss him.