Christopher Davis was born in Santa Clara, CA. His father took him fishing at three months old, which may have influenced his love of the outdoors. When he was five years old the family moved to Hawaii for a year, where Chris attended kindergarten in Waikiki. Eventually the family moved to Turlock, where he attended grammar, middle, and high school. Summers were spent backpacking and at Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe, CA. He was a good skier and spent time in the winter skiing.
Growing up in Turlock, Chris joined the Boy Scouts rising to the rank of Eagle Scout while in High School. He was an active member of the United Methodist Church of Turlock and the church’s youth groups. He was also active in music and drama, and performed in local musical theater. As a junior at Turlock High School, he was an exchange student in the Netherlands. Chris was an honor student and co-valedictorian of Turlock High Schools graduating class of 1984. He earned a full scholarship to Willamette University (WU) in Salem, OR.
While at WU, he was an honor student and sang baritone in the Acapella Concert Choir. Classmates remember Chris as a bright kind-hearted person to all who had the pleasure of knowing him. He lived in Willamette International Student Housing during his freshman year. He then became a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity and lived in the house for the next three years. He was on Opening Days staff, worked in the Bistro, and was very involved in Glee. He graduated with honors, with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 1988. After graduation, he took a year touring with Up with People traveling in North America and Europe. He sang John Denver solos and danced with the ensemble. He then came back to work at WU as student activities assistant; admission counselor; resident director at Metanoia; and Greek affairs assistant during the five years before going to graduate school.
Chris attended graduate school at Colorado State University (CSU), where he received his Masters of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education in 1995. At CSU Chris met Kelly Colpitts. They were married in Tucson, AZ in 1997 and took Ross-Davis as their last name. They subsequently moved to Birmingham, AL to work at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Chris worked in Student Life and International Student and Scholar Services at UAB. He also worked as an Arts Educator at Space One Eleven. Chris later tutored at Better Basics, helping to empower children by advancing literacy. He had a wonderful passion for educating, serving others, and fostering their development.
He continued his love of travel, and in 1999 he and Kelly traveled to Peru to hike the Inca trail to Machu Picchu and to visit some of his Dutch-host family in Lima. Chris was a member of South Highland Presbyterian Church. Despite suffering from severe Fibromyalgia for many years, Chris was actively involved in the Inquirer’s Sunday School class, numerous outreach and children’s ministries, and the Flower Guild.
He was thrilled by the birth of his daughter, Rachel Quinn, in October of 2000, which began yet another huge life adventure. Chris loved to build Rachel-centric activities in celebrating her growth and development. He loved music, art, crafts, design, gardening, hiking, and fishing. His greatest love however, was to be the father of Rachel, who he watched in her many activities as she grew up.
He passed away at home in Birmingham, AL. He is survived by his daughter Rachel, his former spouse Kelly, his sister Kathy (Jason), his nieces Mikayla and Liliana, his mother and father Fran and Clyde Davis, and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Davis and DeOlden families.
A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at South Highlands Presbyterian Church on Tuesday November 21 in Birmingham, AL. Another celebration will be held by Chris’s friends at Willamette University in Portland, OR.
Please RSVP to cdavismemorial@gmail.com if interested in more information. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Better Basics Inc. in Birmingham at betterbasics.org
