Lawrence “Larry” Marsh Davis, 68, passed away peacefully at his home early Saturday morning. Larry lived a remarkable life devoted to his wife Karen; daughters Katie, Sandy (Roger) Ewing, and Sunny (Robert) Price; grandchildren Skylar, Alex, Pauline, Samantha, and Rayana; nephews Joshua, Zachary, and Jacob; and brothers-in-law Gregory (Karen) and Jay (Pat) Powell. He was preceded in death by parents Richard and Pauline Davis, brother Rodney Davis, and stepmother Joyce Davis.
Larry’s family recently celebrated his sixty-eighth birthday at his home, where he received numerous visits from cherished friends, colleagues and students. Larry was born in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Whetstone High School in 1968. He was a terrific athlete throughout his life.
While at Whetstone, Larry lettered three years in baseball and one year in basketball. A First Team All-Columbus selection in baseball, he led his WHS team to the state Final Four his junior year. Later in life, he continued to enjoy playing baseball as a Poland Fog in the senior men’s baseball league.
He also loved to play tennis and pickleball, hike at Mill Creek Park, and swim laps at the Canfield Swim Club. His kids and grandkids recall playing countless games of “pop-up” in the backyard. Larry graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science from the College of Agriculture Honors Program at The Ohio State University in 1972.
He earned his M.S. in Biology from the University of Akron in 1985. After receiving the OSU ROTC “Distinguished Military Graduate” honor in 1973, Larry served as First Lieutenant in the United States Army at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri from 1973-1975, where he earned the Army Commendation Medal. Larry was honored to have served his country as an officer in the United States Army.
Larry shared his passion for biology, environmental sciences, and athletics with his beloved students and colleagues at Canfield High School for 37 years, where he was sometimes known as “Jungle Larry”. He served as Science Department Chair, and in 2001 was named the “Conservation Educator of the Year” by the Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District. Larry’s accomplishments as Canfield High School’s tennis coach were legendary.
His teams collectively bagged 595 victories, winning 27 league championships during his career. Larry mentored a total of 17 singles players and doubles teams for state competition and coached a two-time state singles champion. In 1997, Larry received the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association “Sportsmanship, Ethics, and Integrity Award,” and was inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Canfield High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
An accomplished guitarist and beautiful singer, Larry shared his musical gifts alongside Karen for over 35 years as a devoted member of the Boardman United Methodist Church Praise Team. He was a man of abiding faith who loved and served his church community in a variety of ways. The essence of Larry’s spirit was evident when one was in his presence.
Whether engaged in conversation, fishing, camping, birding, or taking a quiet walk in the woods, Larry was a gentle soul always in great concert with nature. He delighted in sharing his understanding of the natural world with anyone who demonstrated interest or curiosity. A celebration of Larry’s life will be held on December 8th at the Boardman United Methodist Church.
There will be a service at 11:00 am, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the “Larry Davis Science Scholarship Fund” in care of Canfield Local School District, 100 Cardinal Dr., Canfield, Ohio, 44406, or to Boardman United Methodist Church, 6809 Market St., Boardman, Ohio, 44512, in Larry’s name.
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