David W. Davis
After high school I attended OSU and received a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1965, a Masters of Urban Design at the University of Illinois in 1966 and a research thesis at the American Academy of Rome (IT) in 1967. I was employed as Design Architect of civic projects at architectural firms in Champaign, IL, Mr. Vernon, IL and Pittsburg, PA, then continued on as Director of Planning of a hospital design firm in St. Louis, MO.

My own practice began in St. Louis in 1971 where I live and work. I have received recognition by placing in national design competitions: International Paris Prize Competition, 1st runner-up in 1966; NYC LeBruns Traveling Fellowship, 1st runner-up in 1966. The American Institute of Architects honored my firm with 2 prestigious, professional design awards:

: Sheldon Concert Hall (St. Louis) in 1992 and A Penthouse Interiors (Clayton, MO) in 1994.

I have had numerous publications - among them are "Arch-tech" (Cover and feature article) in a national design magazine, "Better Homes and Gardens", "Lofts", and "Contemporary Penthouse" (Sunday feature in the S tLouis Post Dispatch. I am presently single and a proud father of 3 great children: Michelle (41), my oldest, is the daughter of the late Carol Ann Raney (Class of '61). Paul (32) and Anne (30) are my younger children. Their mother, Kathy Kahn, and I are divorced.
My favorite teachers were: Miss Fender because she taught difficult theoretical calculations and made it enjoyable; Dr. Earl Newman put up with a lot from his lab assistants but was genuinely interested in our interests (more on the website).
The most feared teacher was: Not fear but dislike for Mr. Shelstead and Asst. Principal Russell Lipe.
Things no one knows I've done: Come from 6 generations of Methodist circuit riders, ministers and lay leaders; in 1961 I served as "Pistol Pete", mascot for OSU; 1968 served as team designer for the Pittsburg Steelers and the Pittsburg Pirates; 1980 developed, designed and sold an 81-unit ski condo complex in CO; in 1984 authored the residential design standards for the largest Historical District in Missouri; 2008 served as Hon. Grand Marshall of OSU Homecoming Parade; in 2010 spent 7 months recuperating from knee surgery.

Stories I remember about classmates: Eddie Keller, Art Simonson and I worked as Dr. Newman's lab assistants and we loved to remove the large, docile tarantula spiders from their wire cages, quietly open the rear door into the classroom and slide 1 or 2 spiders under the chair of the nearest female . . . then wait for the scream.

Classmates I hope show up are: Carla Baker, Karen Cowell, Marion Craighead, Junie Kay Crouch, Bruce Edgar, Bob Kane, Karen Nordstrom, Mike Reel, Carole Stone, Martha Talmage, Levi Tarr, Mike Pulsifer, Jere Cravens and John Boatright.

2/21/1943 - 04/28/2017
David William Davis, age 74, died peacefully on Friday, April 28, 2017 in St. Louis, Missouri.
David was born February 21, 1943 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was one of four boys to the late Mr. James W. and Mrs. Vera H. Davis, who were originally from Bartlesville, Oklahoma. David attended Dewey Elementary School and graduated in 1960 from College High School, where he met and later married Carol Raney. David received his Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1965 from Oklahoma State University. In 1967, David earned his Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Illinois after extensive research and study in Europe at the University of Rome, the American Academy of Rome and the R.I.B.A. facilities in London. After earning his Master’s, David began working as an architect in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He worked on architecture projects that included: Three Rivers Stadium, the Surgical Suite of Allegheny General Hospital, and the Patient Wing of Braddock General Hospital. David and Carol relocated to Mount Vernon, Illinois, where he welcomed his first child, Michelle. In 1971, he moved to St. Louis, where he opened an architecture firm, David Davis Associates, in the Central West End. David later relocated to Clayton, Missouri, with his second wife, Kathryn Kahn, and a growing family.

During his career, David designed an 81-unit multi-family ski resort in Steamboat, Colorado; a multi-family resort in the US Virgin Islands; and numerous historical restorations and family residences throughout the St. Louis Region. David was awarded two prestigious AIA awards for design excellence: one for a condominium overlooking Shaw Park in Clayton with Mario Corea Aiello; the other for the unbuilt renovation of the Sheldon Concert Hall with Lorens Holm. Honors also included: 1st Runner Up in the Paris Prize and LeBrun Design Competitions. David authored the 1984 residential design standards for the largest Historical District in Missouri and was published in ARCH-ITECT Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Architectural Record and the St. Louis Post Dispatch. In 2008, David was the Honorable Grand Marshall of the OSU Homecoming parade. He took great delight in having served as the OSU mascot, Pistol Pete, while he was in college.

David’s clients and friends will remember him for his professional dedication and integrity, his intelligence, enthusiasm and can-do attitude for any project and his generous and social spirit. He was always positive and ready for a good laugh. He was an amazing listener and had a great memory. His family will miss his warmth and passion for history, skiing and family genealogy. They already miss his love for them and his incredibly charismatic involvement in their lives. His grandchildren will miss his apple pancakes and drawing lessons. David’s role of storyteller for the family will be appreciated and shared for many generations to come.

David is survived by his daughter, Michelle Davis Sanders (Dan) of Corpus Christi, Texas; his son, Paul Benjamin Davis, of London, England; his daughter, Anne Copeland Davis of St. Louis; three beloved grandchildren, Annabelle, Wynn and Gantt; one presently expected but as yet unnamed grandchild this month; and two brothers, Martin Clay Davis (Becky) and James Douglas Davis (Laura), both of Corpus Christi, Texas. He is preceded in death by his oldest brother, Benjamin Neil Davis, of Hartford, Arkansas.

David’s life will be celebrated at a Memorial Service on Saturday, May 6, 2017 at 3 p.m., at Ambruster Chapel, 6633 Clayton Rd. in Clayton, Missouri. Interment will be at a date to be determined, near his parents in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

In lieu of flowers, kindly direct donations to either the David Davis Scholarship Fund at OSU's School of Architecture or the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation in memory of David William Davis.