William Maxwell Davis, 89, died peacefully at his home in Charleston, on July 2, 2021.
Mr. Davis was born in Charleston, on March 21, 1932, the son of the late James Hornor Davis II and the late Martha Davis. He was preceded in death by his only brother, James Hornor Davis III; his sister-in-law, Ouida Caldwell Davis; and his stepmother, Eolyne Davis. He was the last of the 11 grandchildren of William Brent Maxwell of Harrison County.
He received his early education in Clarksburg and Charleston public schools and was a graduate of the Lawrenceville School, Lawrenceville, NJ and Princeton University.
His entire business career was spent with the Bank of West Virginia, where he stepped down as President in 1979. In this, he followed several generations of banking leadership
He was a world traveler, and some of his earliest trips included the World’s Fair in 1939 and the opening of the Olympic Games in Helsinki. He also served overseas in the U.S. Army.
He twice served as the head of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts, appointed by the governor in 1968 a year after the commission’s founding; he remained on through 2004. He also served on the foundation board of the Kanawha County Public Library and was eager to see the renovation through, which he hoped would be quite welcoming to all. His vast philanthropic interests included the Clay Center for Arts and Education (formerly Sunrise Museums), various music organizations — Chamber Music and WV Symphony, the University of Charleston, of which he once served as acting president, The Historic Glenwood House Foundation, for which he was serving his 41st year as president, WVU, his schools, Princeton and Lawrenceville, many auto related museums and his church. Retiring early from his banking career, he dedicated much time to serving on the boards of various non profits across a broad array of interests throughout his state and the country.
A passionate automobile enthusiast from his very early days, he often recalled childhood events (and throughout his life) by the car that was involved. He was also among memberships and roles in a dozen different auto clubs, especially active with the Classic Car Club, the Classic Car Club of America Museum and the Rolls Royce Owners Club and Foundation, and he served as national president of all and judged the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for over 30 years. He was the oldest continuous American member of the U.K. based 20-Ghost Club, the oldest Rolls Royce auto club in the world, and his cars often won best in class. An especially memorable event among many was his delight in taking an American built 1928 Rolls Royce Springfield (MA) roadster with left hand drive to England for a tour, creating some sensation on both continents, including New York Times photo coverage of it boarding the QEII for his Atlantic crossing.
Mr. Davis is survived by his nephew, James Hornor Davis IV (William Hague); his niece, Frederica Davis; and his five great-nieces: Frederica Morgan Davis, Faith Maxwell Davis Iselin (Alex), Tilden Davis Arnold (Alex), Warren Davis and Baird Davis. He was predeceased by his nephew, Lewis Caldwell Davis. He cherished his ongoing contact with Caldwell’s longtime partner, Beth Secor. He took great pride in them and their generations.
He will be remembered for his great charm, and for his genuine devotion to West Virginia, his community and his family — and for his bow ties.
In Charleston, Visitation will be at Bollinger Funeral Home, 420 Lee St. West Charleston, WV 25302, from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, July 7. The memorial service will be at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 36 Norwood Road, Charleston, WV 25314, at 1 p.m., Thursday, July 8.
Persons desiring to make memorials should make them to the charity of their choice.
