PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The city of Pikeville has lost a pillar of the community.
Longtime educator, businessman and public servant Eugene Welch Davis died on Friday. He was 92 years old.
Davis was a 1949 graduate of Pikeville High School who served in the U.S. Navy and graduated from Pikeville College in 1957. From there, he began teaching at Pikeville High School, where he also was football coach for eight seasons, baseball coach for 10 years and athletic director five years.
After earning his master’s degree from Union College, he embarked on a 19-year career at First National Bank, before returning to teaching in 1989 and retiring in 1997.
In addition to his teaching and banking careers, he served as deacon at First Baptist Church for many years, was a member of Kiwanis for 25 years, and spent three decades on the Pikeville City Commission. The baseball field at Hambley Athletic Complex is named Davis Park in his honor.
He is survived by a son, Charles Foster “Frosty” Davis (Melissa), of Pikeville, and two daughters, Eugenia Sue Davis Branham (Don Paul), of Pikeville, and Laura Mesta Davis Scalf (Stan), of Georgetown, along with eight grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., Friday, and 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, at First Baptist Church, in Pikeville. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, at Pikeville High School, with burial to follow in the York Family Cemetery. J.W. Call & Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
