Well-known local florist John Davis, who died unexpectedly Nov. 15, is remembered by legions of friends, family and acquaintances as a light-hearted, generous man who lived life to the fullest.
Davis, who turned 55 on Nov. 10, was a native Savannahian who had owned John Davis Florist since 1988. He was known for many things including his bright smile, his infectious laugh, and his signature saying: “Buy Flowers.”
Donna Moody was one of Davis’ oldest friends and said his death is a “huge loss to my family and to me, and the community at large.”
“I can’t think of anybody else who did as much (for Savannah) as John,” Moody said. “He did many things that people didn’t know about.”
One of his pet projects was raising money for animals. Davis had a deep love for animals and helped raise thousands of dollars for local pet charities, his family said.
His sense of humor also was unique, Moody said. “He spoke his mind, which was off-putting to some people, but no one could get away with it like John,” she explained. He also was famous for his storytelling, she added, pointing out that “most of the best ones can’t be put into print.”
Most of all, Moody said, Davis had “the purest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. I’ve known a lot of good people in my life but he was so pure in the way he loved people. He was a genuinely kind person.”
'No one should have ugly flowers'
Julia and Charlie Williams had known Davis since the early 1990s when they began ordering ceremonial wreaths for various local heritage organizations.
“(Davis’) wreaths were so impressive that we became flower people and customers for life,” Julia Williams said. “I was smitten with this guy from the start. He had the personality that drew people to him like moths to the light, only he was much more than a light; he was a solar system.”
Julia Williams described Davis as “an experience.”
“He was a person who truly loved what he did and the people he created for,” she said. ”Some of my happiest times were spent in his company, be it the shop or at a social event. It was a guaranteed good time when John was present.”
She remembered the time she had knee surgery and Davis brought her flowers.
“I was laid up in bed and in he comes carrying a huge vase of brilliant blooms,” she said. “He saw another arrangement on the dresser, and said, ‘Who sent that ugly thing?’ He proceeded to remove each stem and rearrange it, dripping water on the floor, laughing and joking that no one should have ugly flowers.”
Julia said she loved to drop off tomato sandwiches or cookies to Davis’ shop on Abercorn Street. “On Nov. 15, that dreadful Monday when John suddenly left us, the ingredients for Snickerdoodle cookies were all set out on my kitchen counter, measured and ready to be mixed, baked and delivered to him at the shop the next day. Those cookies never happened but the tears and sadness did, learning that my friend was gone.”
Davis’ funeral was held Nov. 18 at Calvary Baptist Temple. Moody said she and others are planning an additional memorial for the near future because “John would want a party,” she said.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: 'He was much more than a light; he was a solar system': Friends remember John Davis
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