James Douglas Davis, Sr. ("Big Jim") of Lenoir passed away peacefully at home on February 9th, 2026 surrounded by his loving family and friends.  He was born in Lenoir on November 1st, 1941 to James Elgie Davis and Hazel Lavonda Brookshire Davis and was a proud graduate of the 1959 class of Lenoir High School.  He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Hayes Davis, his son Dr. James Douglas Davis, Jr. (Tony), his daughter Kristen Elizabeth Davis Creel (David), grandson Dale Thomas Hall, Jr. (D.J.) (Hannah), grandson Steven Tyler Sabat, great-grandson Preston Hall, brothers Bruce  Davis (Delbra), John Davis (Diane), and Mike Davis (Christl), brother-in-law Jim Hayes (Peggy), nieces and nephews Amy Smith, Rob Davis, Brooke Davis, Curtis Gaines, Lindsey Davis, Kelly Greene, Marti Bozarth, Burt Hayes and their spouses and children.

Jim spent most of his career working in the furniture industry and loved anything to do with wood and woodworking.  With his friends Jerry Austin and Dick Williams, he opened a successful wood products company and at one point, anything made of wood contained in the J. C. Penney catalog in the eighties came from his business.

He loved to golf and share tall tales while playing cards, and he spent many years and many long hours fraternizing with his dear friends at the Lenoir Golf Club in the Back Room until the latter's sudden and unceremonious closure.  These friends at the Back Room (also known as the Room of Knowledge) became another family to him, and he spent much time celebrating them, retelling their stories, and bragging about their accomplishments and abilities.

He was a past president of the Lenoir Jaycees, won numerous awards for service to his community, and often worked sneakily behind the scenes to make life better for his fellow human beings.  His longtime friend Dusty Rhodes said that Jim always said, "If I've got money, you've got money…"  - one simple illustration of his perpetual generosity and concern for the welfare of others.  On multiple occasions, he collected funds to finance the procurement of full sets of teeth for persons who had none.  He was a central figure in raising the seed money to establish what would eventually become the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center (initially the Burn Center for Children).  He was also closely involved in the establishment of the Lenoir Recreation Center.

An Elder and long-standing member of United Presbyterian Church, now Greenway Presbyterian Church, Big Jim lived his life attempting to follow the example of Jesus to the best of his ability, which for him meant accepting and welcoming all persons regardless of difference and treating them with kindness, respect, and compassion.  There was great and rich diversity in his friend group, and he always enjoyed learning about different cultures and places (in particular their foods).  When it came to language barriers, his inevitable solution - with his French foreign exchange student, his dear Mexican friend Mano, and his beloved Puerto Rican friends Freddy and Ana Rivera - was always to repeat himself in English at increasingly slower paces and louder volumes.

He loved spending time with his grandchildren – teaching them how to golf, how to fish, and how to be good human beings.  He loved watching his daughter dance, listen to his son sing and play instruments, and stood by proudly as they made their respective marks on the world.

Jim loved Lenoir, Caldwell County, and the state of North Carolina.  He particularly loved going out with his friends on what he called "walkabouts" to explore the state and local area and their beauty and history.  He was a loving husband, a devoted son to both his parents, a supportive father who loved his both his children and made significant sacrifices for them, and a steadfast, loyal companion to his brothers and friends.  He loved to laugh and never hesitated to act outlandishly to get a chuckle.  His bigger than life personality and warm heart will be powerfully missed by all those fortunate enough to know him.

The family would like to express its tremendous gratitude to Beth Jardon for the gentle, compassionate, prodigious care she gave to Jim.  He called her his "angel" and often attributed the three additional years he got of life to the manner in which she stubbornly advocated for him and his health.  The family would also like to thank Amber Sweet for the support and love she has given to both Jim and Mary.  In addition, the family wishes to convey its admiration for the phenomenal care provided by Caldwell County EMS, the hospice workers at Amorem, and the medical staff at Caldwell Memorial Hospital.  They extend love and appreciation also to all the friends and family who called, brought food, and stopped by to check on Big Jim to provide encouragement and affection.

Services will be held at Greenway Presbyterian Church on Saturday, February 14th, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception at the church.

Greer-McElveen Funeral Home and Crematory of Lenoir are serving the Davis family.