Obituary of William G Davis

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dearly beloved William G. Davis, 70, of Mendham, NJ. Bill resided in the Mendham and Chester area with his loving wife, Eileen (O’Brien) Davis, for the past 41 years and was a family man to his core, living a very full and rich family life. 

Originally from Pueblo, Colorado, Bill moved to the East Coast to attend Yale University, graduating in 1975. At Yale, he studied Economics and played football. Later, Bill had a successful career, most notably working in investment and commercial banking at Bank of America and later in private equity and appraisals/liquidation at the Great American Group.

Growing up in Colorado, Bill’s brilliance and talents for debate and the clarinet shaped many of his earlier years, often traveling locally and out-of-state for debate events that he frequently won. He attended Roncalli High School, where he was Valedictorian, and in his speech he wrote about the importance of hard work and creativity in life. From an early age, Bill was a big dreamer who exhibited resilience and a fierce level of drive and ambition.

Bill turned his dreams into reality when he met his loving wife of over four decades, Eileen, in 1979. Bill and Eileen have seven children together and over these past years, have relished in being able to spend time with their children and eleven grandchildren, as their family continues to expand. Together, they modeled loyalty, resilience and compassion for one another and his absence will be felt profoundly.

Bill loved his family dearly and showed it by raising his children alongside Eileen with a high bar for excellence. He was one of the winningest coaches in recreational basketball and derived a lot of pride and joy in coaching his children’s sports teams. He also forever rooted for the Denver Broncos and NY Yankees and enjoyed going to see games in-person whenever possible. 

Bill was preceded by his parents, William and Helen Davis, and is survived by his wife, Eileen and his children, Chris (Kim), Justin (Kelly), Jackie (Lester), Ryan (Katie), Matthew (Deirdre), Michael (Erik), and Meagan (Priya). Bill is also survived by his eleven grandchildren, his brother Kevin and sister Patty and a number of nieces, nephews and siblings-in-law.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Thursday, August 24, at 11 AM at St. Joseph Church, W. Main Street, Mendham, followed by a committal service at Hilltop Cemetery, Mendham. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in William's memory may be made to the Huntington's Disease Society of America or the Sisters of Christian Charity.