There was no “I can’t” in Mildred L. Davis, only “I can,” family and friends said.
After overhearing whispers in the hospital that she wouldn’t survive her second bout with breast cancer, she vowed to prove the naysayers wrong.
With a positive attitude and strong resolve that inspired other cancer patients, Davis not only walked out of the oncology ward in 1985, but also beat endometrial cancer a decade later.
Through it all, she stayed focused on her mission to make a difference, and will be remembered as a successful business owner and a generous patron of music education.
“She was a phenomenal lady with a deep love for music,” said Marilyn Seelman, former music director of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta. “She was determined in the very best sense and had such a grace and integrity. In music and in life, Milly believed in pursuing excellence, treating people fairly and passing on the good things given to you to others. That was her life.”
Davis of Johns Creek died of Alzheimer’s disease on Oct. 25 at the age of 89. Her graveside service was Oct. 31 at Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Tucker.
Born on April 25, 1926, in Barnesboro, Pa., Davis developed a love for music in middle school. An only child, her father owned a mercantile store and died when she was 12. Her mother encouraged her to continue music and signed her up for voice lessons.
In the 1940s, Davis attended the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester in New York. After marrying Paul T. Davis, she opened a private music studio and taught piano lessons in New York for a few years.
Sharing an entrepreneurial spirit, she and her husband traversed the U.S. Eastern Seaboard with the children in tow as owners and operators of several restaurants and hotels, including a diner in Lake Placid, N.Y., the Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsville, N.C., and a hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In 1965, the family moved to Atlanta, where Davis juggled her business enterprises while supporting her children’s activities.
When their daughter’s gymnastics teacher could no longer keep his studio open, Davis and her husband opened the Academy of Sports in south DeKalb County in 1975 to give their daughter and other aspiring gymnasts, dancers and martial artists a place to hone their skills.
During its 21-year run, the academy served more than 1,000 students and won several gymnastics and dance championships. Her daughter Nancy was a member of the rhythmic gymnastics team that competed at the World Games in 1979. For her academy’s success, the DeKalb News Sun named Davis “Woman of the Week” in 1984.
Delighted when her grandchildren joined music programs at their schools, Davis became a strong supporter – raising funds, rarely missing a concert and donating instruments to the band programs at their Gwinnett County middle and high schools.
Davis also served on the board of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra for 10 years and provided instruments and graduate assistantships to Georgia State University music students who worked with the MYSO.
She also endowed scholarships at Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music and funded recording projects that helped students build their music portfolios.
“She felt strongly about the power of music and creativity to help young people make the world a better place,” said Laurence Kaptain, former director of Columbus State’s Schwob School of Music. “In that way, she left a legacy of generosity and vision, not just by buying a ticket to concerts but supporting the faculty and students at the school.”
In 1996, she closed the sports academy and ran a real estate investment venture until she retired at the age of 86. She also enjoyed traveling the world.
“She got every bit of zest out of life, and it brought her so much joy to support music education,” said her daughter Ann Robbins of Suwanee. “It gave her pleasure to see those kids thrive in music.”
In addition to Robbins, Davis is survived by her sons Bill Davis of Tucker and Chris Davis of Duluth; daughter Nancy Cooper of Charlotte, N.C.; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
About the Author
