Winfield - You were a very special young man who came to live with me, your Aunt Jeanie in Oberlin, Ohio as a teenager and graduated from Oberlin High School along with your best friend, my nephew Anthony C. Ball. You are a miss in all of our lives as you played a part as one of my "sons". I am so delighted that he had the chance to come to the United States and experience what life has to offer here. Thank you for your music and cheerful ways. I will always remember you. I play your music all the time and thank you so much for ensuring that I was gifted with your CD's as they were produced. Love you, Aunt Jeanie (July 9, 2019)
I just found out today May 21, 2015 that you passed away~i am so very sad today~you will always reamain forever in my heart~I miss you and will always remember you my friend. You were a man of much Wisdom and Class~I wish i would have known~the world has lost a wonderful man and Heaven has gained you~your probly an Angel in Heaven. Brenda i am so very sorry for your loss~Hugs and Love to you xoxoxoxoxo
We Celebrated the Life of Winfield Davis on July 9th - his 57th birthday – which he loved celebrating - so was the perfect way to honor his passion, which was his music. Winfield was an accomplished writer, composer, musician and bassist and the gift of his music will live on forever. When he was 10 years old he wanted so badly to make music that he built his own guitar and then his mom finally relented and got him a real guitar and lessons, and he never stopped learning, rehearsing and practicing everyday for hours. Music was his passion since he was a child, though Hotel management was his career and one that he enjoyed for many years. He had the priviledge and forsight to follow his musical passion for the last several years of his life on a full time basis, and they were the happiest years of his life, creating a fan base around the world with his beautiful smooth jazz compositions, and was able to release four cd’s that will continue on as his legacy.
Winfield also loved tennis and played 3 to 4 times a week and more if he could. He was a fierce competitor and losing a match was not in his DNA - as his tennis buddies will attest - he was always fair and usually maintained his dignity and proper British ways, but was driven to win at the same time. I used to tell him that he should lose a match once in a while so that people would still want to play with him but then I just got the Stare as my answer – Oh that Stare – I guess that was a bad idea! He was invited to play a tournament in Sarasota a couple of years ago with a tennis club that he didn’t belong to – and in pure Winfield style – he won the tournament. He handled his music and playing in exactly the same way, and wanted everyone to have the passion and dedication that he did, just ask the band! They know first hand what I’m talking about! It wasn’t always easy but the end result was always awesome!
Winfield was a fierce competitor in all that he did, losing was just not an option and he lived his life that way, fighting until the end.
The definition of Winfield Davis - kind, generous, dignified, elegant, forgiving, loving, talented, driven, tremendous depth and sensitivity, hated gossip and never held a grudge.
Winfield was the kind of person that you wanted to have as a friend because he always had your back and would do anything for you. He was dependable and generous to a fault, always there and made everyone who knew him feel better about themselves just by being around him, because he genuinely cared and he fully appreciated anyone who cared about him and treated them accordingly. He was a man of great depth and sensitivity, and always made you feel that everything was going to be okay, no matter what, his strength came through in all that he did and how he lived his life.
Winfield loved the podium, the stage, and the microphone was his best friend, completely comfortable in front of a crowd, he loved to get his point across and wanted to make sure that he was understood, even if it took longer than you wanted to hear, it always had your best interest at heart, because he cared, and he cared with a passion that came from within. Winfield touched many people throughout the course of his life and if we can take anything away from this sadness, it would be to treat people the way he did and the world would be a better place.
We’ll miss his big warm smile and his great hugs but just know that the competition is on in heaven – and the music is amazing – and all who knew him well just know that he made a grand entrance!
We appreciate beyond words all of your support, prayers, cards, calls and especially being with us to honor, Celebrate and remember the life of Winfield. You know he’s here with us In spirit.
This eulogy was read for me by our friend and musician Henry Lawrence, and I can't thank him enough for being a part of Winfield's Celebration of Life, along with all of Henry's family at Touch of Class, and all of Winfield's musicians who participated to make it such a special night. Winfield would have been so proud.
Brenda
