Obituary of Stewart Davis

Stewart Davis – July 20,1940 – January 26, 2021 Died peacefully at home in Nokomis, Florida, after a long battle with cancer. Survived by his wife Anne Havens, his daughter Catherine (Damion DaCosta), his son Christopher, his step-daughters Lisa (Erik Klein) and Sue Havens (Ibrahim Donmez), his step-grandsons Milo and Wesley, his sister Leila Goldthwaite and brother Walter (Sandy), and many dear friends and family. Stewart grew up in Chester, NY, the son of Albert and Lillian Davis. He graduated from the Taft School, Williams College and Harvard Law School. He moved to Rochester, NY, to practice estate law with Harris Beach law firm in 1964, where he remained until his retirement 45 years later. Throughout his career, he remained active in community service, serving as Chairman of the Board of the Brick Church Day Care Center, Community Child Care Center of the Third Ward, Norman Howard School, Rochester School for the Deaf (over 40 years), Rochester General Hospital Foundation, and served on boards of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and Literacy Volunteers. He was a champion of local arts, and was deeply involved in reinventing and launching of the Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) in 2001 from what was Pyramid Art Center, and served on the RoCo board and as Chair for many years. After his retirement, he began exploring his own creativity, and his passion for painting began to rival that of his passion for golf. An extended trip to Florida for medical treatment in 2003 was the beginning of a love affair with Florida, where he and Anne bought a home in Nokomis in 2009 and enjoyed the snow bird life. He loved sports, sailing and tennis in early years and golf and its camaraderie later. He loved history, especially American Revolutionary War history, and was a collector and supporter of art of all kinds. He was a fine lawyer of the old school, a generous and loyal friend and a gentleman. He loved musicals, his favorite being “The Music Man,” from which he loved to recite, “He’s just a bang-beat, bell-ringing, big-haul, great-go, neck-or-nothing, rip-roarin‘, every-time-a bull’s-eye salesman”… that’s STEWART. Oh, how we will miss him! A memorial gathering will be organized at a later date when it is safe to get together. To view a memorial to Stewart made by RoCo go to http://www.rochestercontemporary.org/stewart-davis-1940-2021/. Donations may be made in his memory to Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Avenue, Rochester 14604.