City Council proclaims Dick Davis Day in honor of late attorney

RADFORD – Radford City Council passed a proclamation Tuesday in honor of Richard “Dick” Davis, who passed away June 2.

Council has not yet acted on a request from former Radford Mayor Dr. Bruce Brown to rename Scott Street in Davis’ honor.

Tuesday’s proclamation reads:

PROCLAMATION “Dick Davis Day” WHEREAS Richard Waters “Dick” Davis was born on July 9, 1931 in Rocky Mount, Virginia; he attended Hampden-Sydney College and Centre College before joining and serving in the United States Air Force from June, 1952 until 1957; and WHEREAS Dick Davis met and married elementary school teacher, Mary Alice Woods, and remained married to her for nearly forty-three years, helping raise five children and eight grandchildren; and WHEREAS Dick Davis, in the summer of 1959, moved his young family to the City of Radford, Virginia to practice law in the well-established firm of Dalton, Poff & Turk; and WHEREAS Dick Davis served the City of Radford as the Jaycees Spoke Award winner in 1961; the President of the Radford Jaycees in 1962; Jaycees State Vice President in 1963; and was statewide legal counsel to the Jaycees in 1964; and WHEREAS Dick Davis served the City of Radford as the City’s President of Kiwanis International in 1966 and as the Commonwealth’s Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis International in 1969; and WHEREAS Dick Davis was affiliated with First Virginia Bank and BB&T bank on their Board of Directors and as a member of the Executive Committee for thirty-five years, from 1969-2004; was on the Board of Directors for Saint Albans Psychiatric Hospital for thirty-one years, from 1973 until 2004; was on the Board of Directors of Carilion Heath System for fifteen years, from 1989 to 2004; and WHEREAS Dick Davis served the City of Radford as the City’s General District Court Judge for eighteen years, from 1962 to 1980; and WHEREAS Dick Davis was President of the Radford-Montgomery Bar in 1974; served the Virginia Bar Association Disciplinary Committee from 1986-1989; was on the Virginia State Bar Council from 1989-1995; served the Virginia Law Foundation as a Fellow on its Council from 1989-1995; and served the Virginia Public Defenders Commission as Vice Chairman from 1999-2002 and Chairman from 2002-2004; and WHEREAS Dick Davis was the founding partner of Davis, Davis and Davis Attorneys, in Radford, and was a mentor to the next two generations of family attorneys, with a passion for the law spanning 60 years; and WHEREAS Dick Davis was a tireless champion for the City of Radford, Radford City Schools, Radford Youth Recreation and his beloved bobcats. NOW THEREFORE BE IT THEREFORE PROCLAIMED by the City Council of the City of Radford that July 9, 2019 be known throughout Radford, Virginia as Richard Water Davis Day, in celebration of his life and recognition of his exemplary service to the City of Radford.