I would call Pete once a week. He appeared to be doing better. All I can say is..........I am heartbroken. I will miss him very much. Great man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As I fight back the tears, I sadly report that our great and courageous friend and classmate, Pete Davis, has passed away.
As you know, he had been in a nursing home since October of 2016 after suffering a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to use the left side of his body. In addition to the stroke, he had long suffered from kidney failure and been on dialysis three time a week. Two days ago, Pete's wonderful daughter, Melanie, called me to say the situation was dire, and I along with Phil Wooten went to see him yesterday morning. He was lucid and mostly the same old Pete. We told the same old stories - the great train fiasco story* and other wild and crazy stuff we all did - he laughed and seemed to enjoy the old stories despite the hundreds of times we had told them, then he calmly told us just as he had told his family and his doctors - "that he knew he couldn't get better." Despite the frustration of no matter how much he tried, he had made little progress toward rehabilitation, and he just didn't want to continue dialysis any more. Of course, the consequences of going off dialysis was obvious to all of us. He had enormous support from his many friends, his childen, his grandchildren and grandson, Justin was right there with him. Once he said this, to me, he seemed relieved.
This morning (8/31/18), I called Petes daughter, Melanie, who told me that Pete had passed away about 3 AM in his room at Forsyth Hospital. A short time before that, the nurse had checked on him and found him snoring away. Then, a short time after that, they checked on him again and he wasn't breathing. It appears he had died in his sleep. I think that's what Pete wanted. Funeral plans are not yet determined. Maybe Tuesday, but it's too early to know. Salem Funeral Services on Main Street will be handling it. At this point I am sad, but actually glad that Pete is out of his suffering. Funeral details will follow.
Over the past several years, Steve Blake, Phil Wooten, and I visited Pete fairly frequently, often having lunch with him. Pete was always so grateful and his attitude was always very optistic and cheerful. We always told those same old stories, and Pete frequently joked and kidded with the nursing home staff. He was well liked, and he adjusted to the awful predicament as best one could under such circumstances. Also, many others of our class, including the reunion committee and others visited him occasionally. Even Phil Hightower from Virginia Beach and Nicky Harris from Washington State came. Many, many sent cards. Pete kept the cards on a shelf in his room and often would have someone pass them to him so he could read them again. He was always amazed everytime he looked at them. He once told me that he didn't realize he had so many friends. And of course, there was the IPad and bedstand that many of us chipped in to purchase for him. He used it until almost the very end and told me the IPad was his contact with the world. Pete was so grateful to all of you for loving and caring for him and helping him see his way through these challenging years. I know he loved you until the very end.
May our great friend and classmate, Pete Davis, REST IN PEACE!
Danny Ferguson
*The Great Train Fiasco story is told in Pete's own words under the "in memory" section for Tommy Lockard.
Philip D. Hightower
I would call Pete once a week. He appeared to be doing better. All I can say is..........I am heartbroken. I will miss him very much. Great man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Phil Hightower
Danny T. Ferguson
Dear RJR62 Classmates, 8/31/2018
As I fight back the tears, I sadly report that our great and courageous friend and classmate, Pete Davis, has passed away.
As you know, he had been in a nursing home since October of 2016 after suffering a debilitating stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to use the left side of his body. In addition to the stroke, he had long suffered from kidney failure and been on dialysis three time a week. Two days ago, Pete's wonderful daughter, Melanie, called me to say the situation was dire, and I along with Phil Wooten went to see him yesterday morning. He was lucid and mostly the same old Pete. We told the same old stories - the great train fiasco story* and other wild and crazy stuff we all did - he laughed and seemed to enjoy the old stories despite the hundreds of times we had told them, then he calmly told us just as he had told his family and his doctors - "that he knew he couldn't get better." Despite the frustration of no matter how much he tried, he had made little progress toward rehabilitation, and he just didn't want to continue dialysis any more. Of course, the consequences of going off dialysis was obvious to all of us. He had enormous support from his many friends, his childen, his grandchildren and grandson, Justin was right there with him. Once he said this, to me, he seemed relieved.
This morning (8/31/18), I called Petes daughter, Melanie, who told me that Pete had passed away about 3 AM in his room at Forsyth Hospital. A short time before that, the nurse had checked on him and found him snoring away. Then, a short time after that, they checked on him again and he wasn't breathing. It appears he had died in his sleep. I think that's what Pete wanted. Funeral plans are not yet determined. Maybe Tuesday, but it's too early to know. Salem Funeral Services on Main Street will be handling it. At this point I am sad, but actually glad that Pete is out of his suffering. Funeral details will follow.
Over the past several years, Steve Blake, Phil Wooten, and I visited Pete fairly frequently, often having lunch with him. Pete was always so grateful and his attitude was always very optistic and cheerful. We always told those same old stories, and Pete frequently joked and kidded with the nursing home staff. He was well liked, and he adjusted to the awful predicament as best one could under such circumstances. Also, many others of our class, including the reunion committee and others visited him occasionally. Even Phil Hightower from Virginia Beach and Nicky Harris from Washington State came. Many, many sent cards. Pete kept the cards on a shelf in his room and often would have someone pass them to him so he could read them again. He was always amazed everytime he looked at them. He once told me that he didn't realize he had so many friends. And of course, there was the IPad and bedstand that many of us chipped in to purchase for him. He used it until almost the very end and told me the IPad was his contact with the world. Pete was so grateful to all of you for loving and caring for him and helping him see his way through these challenging years. I know he loved you until the very end.
May our great friend and classmate, Pete Davis, REST IN PEACE!