Chester Davis

Chester Spurgeon Davis, 95, of Durham died March 15, 2017 at his home after a period of declining health. He was born October 1, 1921 in Buckhead, Georgia to Commodore Spurgeon Davis and Jessie Jordan Davis. His family moved to Hazelwood, North Carolina in 1925 where he grew up.
Chester was preceded in death by his wife Louise Brown Davis, six brothers and two sisters.
He is survived by two daughters, Susan Clark of Portsmouth, Va., Sherron Sizemore (Wallace) of Durham, NC; son, Wayne Brown (Gloria) of Hendersonville, NC; five grandchildren, Donna Brown, Chad Clark, David Sizemore, Brian Sizemore, and Tristan Brown; five great-granddaughters whom he greatly enjoyed, Melissa Brown, Meadow Clark, Kate Sizemore , Alice Sizemore, and Ava Sizemore.
Chester was a member of Shallow Ford Christian Church of Elon, NC and was a former member of Braggtown Baptist Church and Edgewood Baptist Church of Durham. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1940 (the first in Haywood County, NC) and was a U.S. Army WWII veteran serving in Germany in Co. C, 112th Inf. Reg., 28th Inf. Division. After WWII, he was employed at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. as a sheet metal worker and structural hull draftsman. After marrying Louise in 1945 and moving to Durham in 1949, he was employed as a sheet metal worker, draftsman, foreman, shop superintendent, and mechanical draftsman for several employers. He was particularly proud that he drew the sheet metal plans for many of the buildings at Duke University including the hospital addition (1957), the Biological Sciences building, Law Building, Duke Library, and Duke Hospital North.
Chester loved to read and kept a detailed daily journal of the weather and his activities. He wrote a book, "Life and Work of a Mountain Man", which he proudly distributed to family and friends. He also loved gardening and watching things grow.
The family would like to thank Duke Home Care & Hospice for their help and care during the past few months.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, March 18, at 1:00 p.m., at Shallow Ford Christian Church in Elon, NC by pastor Steve Regan and burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 12:15-12:45 pm prior to the service at the church. Lowe Funeral Home and Crematory are in charge of the services.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Duke Home Care and Hospice, 4321 Medical Park Dr., Suite 101, Durham, NC 27704 or to Shallow Ford Christian Church, 1263 Shallowford Church Rd, Elon, NC 27244.

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