Obituary
Russell Lee Davis, age 91, of Boynton Beach, FL passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, October 7, 2023, with his wife of 68 years, Shirley, by his side. He is survived by Shirley, his sons Mark and Bret, Mark’s wife Sandra, and Bret’s wife Kathy and his grandchildren, Christopher, Michael, Meagan and Wade.
Russell was born in Ft. Lauderdale, FL April 20, 1932, to Mitchell and Mary Davis of Ft. Lauderdale. As a child he enjoyed building model planes and rockets – a hobby that would stay with him throughout his life. He attended Ft. Lauderdale High
School and graduated in 1950. He was drafted for the Korean War at age 18 and served honorably in the Army for two years. He was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska which was quite a change for a boy born and raised in Florida! But he managed and in fact, enjoyed his time there.
Once back home, Russell enjoyed racing stock cars with men that would go on to race in NASCAR, telling stories of racing strategies and engine upgrades and characters he met along the way. When he met Shirley, she was still in high school. They both enjoyed racing, sports cars and spending time together, getting married in March of 1955. When their first son Mark was born, the car went up for sale so that Russell could start Art Craft Metals, a business that still exists today, 65 years later.
Owning a business meant there wasn’t a lot of time for travel, so Russell decided to take up flying. He got his pilot’s license and purchased a Cessna 182 and then Beechcraft that took the family on many adventures. He loved to hunt, fish, fly and travel. And he shared these interests with his family, travelling to Nicaragua to hunt ducks and doves with his sons, fishing for Bass wherever he found a good lake, and flying up to Alaska with Shirley, Mark and Bret to sightsee, fish and perhaps reminisce. His sense of adventure lives on in his family, many of whom are pilots and fishermen, travelers and dreamers. He will be well remembered and missed.