This is Chad's eulogy for Dad.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
FRANK L. Davis
By Chadwick Boyd
February 9, 1923 - June 3, 2007
His name was Frank, Lester, Lec, Dave, Davis. He was Honey…Dad…Grandpa. He was a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a grandfather. He was a friend, a neighbor, a leader, a teacher. He was an engineer, a jokester, an artist…a magician. To me, he was everything.
I met him when I was three…and it was kismet from the very beginning. I was a little boy, gregarious and determined, with a big smile and a lot to say, but without a full voice. I was full of potential. And he saw it at the start.
For the next 32 years, without condition, he worked hard –teaching me. Guiding me. Inspiring me. Loving me. Molding and shaping me into the man I am today. It’s a gift that I still am learning to fully understand and appreciate. And a gift that I am now entrusted with to share with others – to change the world in my own way – for good.
Grandpa is why I do what I do today. To be the expressionist I was born to be. To tell stories that help people. To encourage them to be better. To be the best that they can be. To live their best lives.
He pushed me to be courageous. To believe in myself…no matter what anyone else said. He pushed me – sometimes really hard – to “Do it. Do it. DO IT!!” (he would always say that). And he was fearless. Something that I always admired in him. He had fire in his eyes…behind this extraordinary glow of life. He truly loved living – every day…and making every day special…in simple – yet BIG – ways…for others.
Grandpa had a way of creating magic. All of you know that Grandpa was all about Christmas. One year, when I was about 8 or 9 in mid-December, I was sick. So Grandpa went out and bought a Christmas tree by himself. He brought it home to Grandma and me. It seemed small to us – strange for a man who LIVED for a big Christmas tree.
I was soooo disappointed. Disheartened. Christmas would never be the same. It was ruined. I went to bed, deflated, thinking “this is the worst Christmas tree ever! How could MY grandfather – Mr. Christmas – pick out the ugliest tree?!” The holiday was over.
When I awoke the next morning, Grandpa was already up and going. As I got out of bed, he stood by his bedroom door, waiting for me to head toward the kitchen. As I turned down the hallway, cringing a bit for fear of seeing that blasted ugly tree, I was STUNNED! I looked up, and before me was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREE! My eyes bugged out of my head; my mouth dropped to the floor…I gasped for breath. “GRANDPA! What happened? Did Santa Claus bring a tree overnight???!!! Did you go out and buy another tree??!!” Both Grandma and Grandpa belly laughed at my reaction. And Grandpa beamed with excitement and pride.
You see, Grandpa knew how disappointed I was when I went to bed that night. But, he saw the potential in the tree. So, he stayed up all night…twisting branches from front to back. Tying them with twine and rubber bands from one side to another. He drilled holes in the trunk and moved branches from top to bottom. All to create the perfect Christmas tree – just for me. For everyone.
And he delighted in the moment the next morning when I saw the transformed Christmas tree in sheer awe.
It was then in that moment that I learned that it was in the giving of the gift that was so special. It was the thought behind it. Therein lived the magic. The spirit of life.
Grandpa lived a life creating magic for everyone. He LIVED for it. He created a 9’ handmade Eagle to make earning the Eagle Scout honor worthy and special for 101 young men. He ingeniously made by hand – from a pattern out of a children’s’ coloring book – a Santa sleigh, eight reindeer and a Rudolph with a blinking red light bulb for a nose that brought joy to the hearts of children young and old – for more than 40 years. He made popcorn balls, concrete marble lights, handmade birthday cards, rubber banded everythings(!), a patented “Rocket to the Moon” board game, Whiskey sours – his “slushes,” reinforcement rod tree houses…and so many more magical things that ALL OF US here in this room and beyond could continue to list. And he prided in being in the moment when we experienced his creations.
My uncle, Glenn, sent me this note when he heard the news about Grandpa’s passing. It says a lot about how prolific Grandpa’s good deeds, his teachings, his expressions of love, his moments of magic meant to so many – those whom we know and those we never will.
“I am very sad to hear this news. Your Grandfather was an exceptional person. You are very fortunate to have had such a person in your life. Knowing him has been a true blessing for me as well. He was a role model to me as I matured and will continue to be a role model as (my son) Cole's scouting career takes off, with me as Cub Master. I could listen to his stories for hours on end. I will miss him greatly. I'm sure that he is now reunited with his true love, Clare, and all of his pain is gone. I think of him often, even today, since it is the 63rd anniversary of D-Day.
Unfortunately, we cannot attend the services on Saturday, but I will honor him by continuing with a leadership role in Scouts.”
There probably are a litany of others who have a personal story like my uncle’s…many of you, I’m sure…about how Grandpa touched their lives…and encouraged them to be better. Where he created magic for them. And inspired them to make a difference in their own way in their lives and the lives of others.
My friend, Ron Clark, writes in his book,
The Essential 55:
“To me, life is all about experiences, the ones you make for yourself and the ones you make for others. As a teacher and a person, I have tried to give special moments to people.”
I believe that. I know Grandpa did, too.
If I have done nothing else in what I shared with you about Grandpa today, I do hope that it has inspired you to make more of a difference in the lives of children. Guide them as they grow…hug them…tell them that all things are possible…as my grandfather did…show them in every way possible that they are cared for, and make special moments for them that will add magic to their lives, motivate them to make a difference in the lives of others, and, most importantly, teach them to love life.
My grandfather, Grandpa, surely did.
