Michael Anthony Davis

Michael Anthony Davis was born on July 29, 1954 in Cleveland, Ohio to the late Alberta and Sherman Davis; he was the 4th of 7 siblings; Shelia, Mustafa (aka Herman), Carolyn, Manette (who preceded him in death), Philip and Monica.

Michael was elected Senior Class President of John Adams High School in 1972, played varsity basketball, and was forever a John Adams Rebel. He took their motto to heart: “Without Vision the People Perish”, which is drawn from Habakkuk 2:2. Michael graduated from Ashland College in 1976.

In July of 1977, Michael moved to Chicago, Illinois to become a part of the Sears management training program. It is there that he met Sharon A. Smith, the true love of his life. While in Chicago, he also reconnected with his high school friend Steve Harris and they became and stayed best friends for over 40 years. Michael was transferred by Sears to Dayton, Ohio, in February 1978 which became his new home.

July 12, 1980, Sharon and Michael were married and to this union 2 children were born, La’Vern Allene Davis and Anthony Sherman Joseph Davis. Michael and his family became members of Resurrection Catholic Church, now St. Benedict the Moor, where they were very active members. Service and giving back was very important to Michael. He coordinated countless fundraisers and events for the church, taught Sunday school, and served as the youth coordinator. Michael was a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of Peter Claver, where he rose to the ranks of Deputy Grand Knight in both organizations. He also served as the Jr. Knight Commander of Peter Claver for many years.

One-day driving home from church in 1990, Michael made note of the empty Resurrection basketball courts and the vision to create a basketball camp for youth in the community was born. Michael engaged church members, community leaders and area businesses to not only believe in his vision, but to invest in it as well and the Resurrection Basketball Camp was soon a reality. This weeklong camp ran for 10 years and over 1000 young people were provided with not only basketball skills, but they gained life skills, activities to build self-esteem and career exploration opportunities. They were provided lunches and T-Shirts, that for the first 2 years, Michael and his family made themselves in their basement. This became a reality all because Michael had a vision and lives were changed because of the visionary he was.

Michael took his vision of helping people directly to the people. He started a mentoring program, PASS’N, which was a two-day program aimed at troubled teens. During those two days, the teens, both girls and boys, got to experience what real-life work situations are like and how to succeed in them.

Over the past few years, Michael beamed with pride while tracing the Davis and Vernon (his mother’s maiden name) family trees. He traveled across the country to connect and bond with cousins he had never met before in Texas, Illinois, and Louisiana. He proudly represented his siblings at the Vernon family reunion in Louisiana 2015 and was recognized by his newfound family for his contributions in helping to update the family tree.

Michael was the ultimate salesman and because he believed in what he was selling; he would make sure you believed in the purchase that you were sure to make from him! He took that tenacity and salesmanship from retail to the world of radio and found his niche yet again in radio sales. Michael worked at WDAO and WROU in Dayton, where he excelled as a sales manager and developed a family of powerful sales team members. Michael went on to travel the country in various radio companies in Omaha, Memphis, Toledo, Pittsburgh, and Dallas exceeding sales goals, touching lives, and making lifelong friends everywhere he went. In 2014, Michael was named one of Radios Future African American Leaders by Radio Ink Magazine, which is just another testament of his brilliant, successful career in sales.

Faith, Family and Friends, and the Cleveland Browns, are what Michael held dear. He never met a stranger. Strangers were just friends that he hadn’t made yet. Michael had a gift for making people feel as if he had known you for years. Michael was a mentor, coach, teacher, counselor, confidant, and most importantly a FRIEND to everyone he met. Michael has friendships that have spanned 30, 40 and almost 50 years, and they all held a special place in his heart, as he in theirs. A friend described Michael’s ability to touch people as “magnetic longevity”, and they could not have been more right.

Michael departed to his heavenly home on February 24, to take his reward for a hard fought battle. Michael is survived by Sharon, his “lovely wife, as he always called her,” of 36 years; his two children La’Vern and Anthony (A.J.); Trenton, his nephew, to whom he was a father figure; his 2 brothers and 3 sisters: 2 Sister-in-Laws: Genetta Mellison (Michael), & Joan Smith: 10 Nieces & nephews: Ericka, Veronica, Vernell, Eboni, Sharia, Jimmy, Machiah, Catrice, Javon and Derrick, God-Children and many, many, many Good Friends in Cleveland, Dayton and around the country.

Funeral service Friday, March 3, 2017 11am at St. Agnes Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 6800 Lexington Ave. Family will receive friends at 10am. Burial to follow service at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery, 5505 Northfield Road Bedford Heights, OH 44146.