Dr. James Henry “Jim” Davis, age 71, died of cancer on May 1, 2011. He is survived by his a sister, Ms. Carolyn Russell of Lapine, AL, two brothers, Rev. Bill Newton Davis of Wetumpka, AL, and Mr. Jack D. Davis of Bradleyton, AL, six nieces and three nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Patterson Davis, his parents, Jasper Newton and Sallie Maude Davis and a sister Ms. Margaret Robinson.

Dr. Davis was born and raised in Alabama. He graduated from Samford University of Birmingham, New Orleans Baptist Seminary with M.Th and D.Min degrees and did additional graduate studies at the University of Alabama.

He served as pastor of the Old Lebanon Baptist Church near Troy, AL from 1960 to 1970. He served 27 years with the Madison County Juvenile Court and was the administrator for 13 years. When the Federal Court ordered changes to the Department of Youth Services, he chaired the monitoring team to assure that those orders were met. Dr. Davis served as president of the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Board, the Alabama Council on Crime and Delinquency, the Chief Probation Officers Association, and the Juvenile Detention Administrators Association. He and his wife moved to Celebration, Fla., in 1997 where he spent three years researching and writing his family’s history.

The funeral will be held at Dillard Funeral Home in Troy, Alabama on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 12:00 pm with Dr. Mickey Castleberry officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will follow at Old Lebanon Baptist Church Cemetery with Dillard Funeral Home of Troy directing.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lester and Helen Patterson Family Scholarship Fund, Oklahoma Baptist University, P.O. Box 61275, Shawnee, OK 74804 or to the Mayo Clinic Florida Research Fund, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, Fla., 32224.

To sign our online guestbook please visit our website at www.dillardfh.com.