Homer Davis (Joseph Homer Davis Jr.)

Homer Davis died on Monday 19 October 2026 in Ashford, Alabama, at the age of 98. No cause of death was made public. His obituary was published by Holman-Headland Mortuary, which handled the arrangements, and his death was reported by The Alabama Baptist on 4 November 2026 and by Baptist Press in its SBC Digest.

A celebration of his life was held at 10am on Saturday 24 October 2026 at Bluff Springs Baptist Church, with Pastor Dennis Singletary and Brother James Bell officiating, after visitation in the church sanctuary the previous evening. He was buried in the church cemetery. Memorial contributions were requested for the J. Homer Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Joseph Homer Davis Jr. was born on 29 June 1928 in Ashford, Houston County, Alabama, to Joseph Homer Davis Sr. and Essie V. Johnson Davis. He had a sister, Aline Davis Shelton. He grew up in Ashford and graduated from Ashford High School.

He served on active duty in the United States Navy at the end of the Second World War. He then graduated from the University of Alabama and from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, preparing for the pastoral ministry that would occupy the rest of his working life.

Davis was pastor of a series of Baptist congregations: Bethel Baptist Church, Ridgecrest Baptist Church, Britt David Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, Leawood Baptist Church in Greenville, South Carolina, and First Baptist Church of Austell in Austell, Georgia.

He later moved into denominational work, serving with the former Columbia Baptist Association, now known as the Southeast Baptist Association, and with the Georgia Baptist Convention in Atlanta.

After retiring he returned to Ashford and continued to preach as an interim pastor at numerous churches in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. During his retirement he also served for 24 years on the board of the Blanche Davis Moore Foundation of Corpus Christi, Texas, and was chairman of its board for 14 of those years.

Davis was married for 58 years to Glenda Agee Davis, who died before him. They had four children: Joseph Davis of Taylors, South Carolina, Paul Davis of New Berlin, Wisconsin, Tom Davis of Melbourne, Florida, and Amy Davis Byars of Auburn, Alabama. He had eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

In retirement he was a faithful member of Bluff Springs Baptist Church in Ashford, where his obituary said he strived to encourage both staff and members.

Davis's ministry spanned local pulpits, associational work and state convention service across three states, and continued for decades after his formal retirement through interim pastorates. His obituary said his life and works were remembered in the Ashford community for his faith, leadership and service, and the memorial scholarship in his name at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is intended to support future ministers.