Arthur Ganong Davis of Starkville, MS, passed away from Parkinson’s disease on January 29, 2021. He was 86 years of age and forever the charming Southern Gentleman. As a small boy waiting in the doctor’s office, a nurse called him “Honeybee”, which was the nickname he answered to for the rest of his life.
Art was born in Clarksdale, MS on November 29, 1934. His parents were J. Harper Davis and Shelby Ganong Davis, his wife was Frances Habig Davis, and his brother was Harper Davis, who have all predeceased him.
After graduating from Clarksdale High School in 1952, Art attended Mississippi State College in Starkville, MS on a football scholarship. During his junior year, he was named 1954 Southeastern Conference “Player of the Year” by the Nashville Banner and Atlanta Constitution. In his senior year, Art was named 1955 All American and “Player of the Year” by the Football Writers Association of America. Art was voted Mr. Mississippi State by his classmates and was also a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity and Who’s Who of America. In recent years, Art was inducted as a SEC Football Legend and into the Mississippi State Football Ring of Honor where his name was added to the football stadium. He is also in the Mississippi State and State of Mississippi Sports Halls of Fame.
On June 2, 1956, Art married Frances Habig in Jackson, MS and they soon moved to Pennsylvania for Art’s rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him 5th overall. After injuries abruptly ended his NFL career that year, Art and Fran entered the coaching ranks and lived in Biloxi, MS (Biloxi High School), Baton Rouge, LA (LSU), Atlanta, GA (Georgia Tech), and finished their coaching travels in Austin, TX with the 1963 National Champion Texas Longhorns where Art coached the defensive backs. After that season, he left coaching for the business world.
Moving to Cleveland, MS in 1964, Art worked for the Mississippi School Supply Company, and in 1971, the family returned to his college alma mater where he was the Director of the Development Foundation at Mississippi State for 13 years. He could often be found outside The Union visiting with students and finding out who their “mama and daddy” were, as many of the parents were already his friends. In 1983, Art and Fran moved to his hometown of Clarksdale where he worked in public relations for United Southern Bank and First National Bank of Clarksdale. He was also a volunteer football coach at Lee Academy. After retiring in 2001, they moved to Oregon to be closer to their son’s family and younger set of grandchildren. Art moved back to Mississippi in 2020.
Throughout Art’s life, he had an amazing knack for making friends very quickly with his engaging personality and great big smile. He loved to encourage people and to always build them up. He loved to make people laugh and told many that he played the “slide trombone” in high school (which he did not). He served his church in various capacities – and took immense pleasure in keeping the vestry minutes, with amusing notes, at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Clarksdale. Art’s main hobby was watercolor painting for 40+ years, and he created holiday-themed cards of his paintings that he sent to friends each Christmas season.
Art is survived by his daughter Diane Davis Jones (Gregg) of Starkville, MS; son Douglas Arthur Davis (Jennifer) of Lake Oswego, OR; grandchildren Bradford K. Jones (Natalie) of Starkville, MS, Shelby Jones White (Adam) of Columbus, MS, Emma Kathryn Davis of Dallas, TX, and Eli Arthur Davis of Lake Oswego, OR. He also had four great grandchildren – all boys, Brody, Archer, Hunter and Colton.
There will be a memorial service at Odd Fellows Cemetery on University Drive in Starkville, MS on Tuesday, February 2nd. A graveside visitation will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., followed by a short service at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Art’s memorial wishes are to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Parkinson’s Foundation. The family is especially grateful for the medical assistance and hospice care that Art received throughout his illness.
