My Son: Phillip Harvey Davis
Eulogy by Ron Davis

I want to tell you a little bit about a boy named Phillip Harvey Davis. Born on November 14, 1985 I was there when he was born. And I can tell you that from the minute he was born he was using every sense that he had to learn about the world. When he was learning to crawl he would crawl up to a cabinet that we had and move the door back and forth all the while looking at how the hinges worked. And I observed how happy this made him by his big smile. As soon as he was walking and talking at about age 1 ½ he picked up a screwdriver and not just any screwdriver he looked at what he was going to work on and went to the tool box and got a Philips screwdriver as he was about to remove the tail lights from the car. Which he promptly did and then reinstalled them perfectly. Again a big smile. When he was about 4 years old he wanted and got a 21” power mower for Christmas. And thus began the fascination for gasoline engines. Shortly after I brought home about 5 broken chain saws and 1 owners Manuel. Not a technical manual just the owners manual. He promptly dismantled several of them. I then sat down with him and explained how a two cycle gas engine worked. He looked at all the chain saws sitting there and said to me “ I can take all of them apart and use all of the parts to make one of them work.” And he did. He was so happy he smiled from ear to ear when that chain saw started. At about 6 he progressed to a mini bike with an old engine and no carburator. He had bought with his own money some old lawn mower engines. He removed a carbueator from one of these different make engines and bolted it to the mini bike engine and after a few tries it started. Once again another smile from ear to ear.
At about 8 he started mowing some of the neighbor’s lawns and when he got paid another smile from ear to ear. Well, he mowed lawns around town with his own lawn mower and made some money and spent some money. Always thinking about how to make more money which he quickly learned meant re investing his money into more equipment. And always with a big smile. He also had some gas powered toys along the way. He bought with his own money an RC car and after assembling it drove it around on our property. He worked on it and bought parts and worked on it some more. Then he decided that it was much too impractical to spend money on something that you couldn’t make money with. So he put it on eBay and sold it. Still mowing lawns and doing yard work all the while looking for another way to make money. At about 12 or 13 He decided that woodworking might interest him. So he bought some hard wood and started making cutting boards with basic tools and selling them on eBay. When he has sold enough cutting boards to buy some real power machinery he did. He bought a planner, a joiner, a table saw, and a radial arm saw, etc etc. Until he had a whole work shop assembled in our garage. He continued to make cutting boards and chess boards all while attending school and occasionally working as a plumbing apprentice and also working on setting up a PHD web site. All with a big smile on his face. He got board with making cutting boards and talked of hiring some people to do that part. Ultimately deciding that it just wasn’t profitable enough. All with a big smile on his face.

He sold his wood working equipment on eBay along with anything else that was just laying the house not being useful. He went through a time where he was constantly asking if we were “going to use this or that” and if not could he sell it on eBay. Of course once all the junk was sold he started looking at things that we had a use for and asking could he sell this on eBay and always with a big smile.

When he was 15 ½ he bought his own car with his own money a beautiful Nissan Maxima. And around that time he started buying used books at garage sales and at Goodwill and selling them on eBay. This was a very profitable business which he did until the cashiers at Goodwill started calling him by name and asking him why he needed 3 of the same text book each week. He told them he loved to read. He decided to sell his inventory on eBay and go back to lawn mowing all with a big smile on his face.

His lawn mowing business now became PHD Lawn & Garden Care and with an expanding client list and more new equipment he was a success in all ways. I think by now you get the picture he was a hard working entrepreneur and the sky was the limit.

I know he is in a better place. It is we who shed tears for our loss of such a wonderful young man. He will be greatly missed by many people.

 

My Son: Phillip (Phil) Harvey Davis
Eulogy by Dodie Davis

Phil was the very essence of life itself. He embraced every aspect of his being and he lived life to the fullest.

From the minute he was born he had an insatiable desire to learn and to understand “how things worked”. He was purposefully given a PhD at birth and he rightfully took ownership of those initials. He proudly named each of his companies PHD!

He experienced travels, careers, and most importantly relationships, which many are never blessed with even if they live to be 100! Favorite activities were guitar playing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and his new motorcycle. Exuberance and “taking it to the limit” was his way. He water-skied – like a professional, operated his business’ – like a professional, and and yes, he had the integrity and demeanor of a true professional.

It is no coincidence that we are here celebrating his life today on Independence Day. Phil was a very independent person! His wisdom and knowledge were beyond his years and he became self reliant at such a young age because self reliance earned him the privilege to be independent. One of his expressions of this independence was demonstrated in his manifestation of accumulating money. He loved being an entrepreneur and he loved money – I can just hear him saying to me now . . . “Mom pass the offering tray now”

Phil was of genius mental capacity although he never really wanted others to know that. He even became embarrassed if I dare to brag about his accomplishments. He was humble and he was non pretentious, always allowing others to love him on their terms and for their reason.

Phil’s keen sensitivity and gentle soul made him a very loving and compassionate person. As a toddler he would cry when his friends cried. He laughed easily – and he finally grew into his famous ear to ear smile. His impeccable timing and quick witted one liners will be missed by us all.

I can say simply – Phil was The Best!

Today with the knowledge that he is safe and in God’s hands, we send him love and we celebrate his life. I want to thank all of you for what ever part you played in his life. And I ask you to know how deeply he loved so many of you. He would not want for your hearts to be broken. So when you think of him, be comforted by his spirit, and go on.

 

My Brother: Dani's Phil
Eulogy by Danielle Davis

When I think of Phil, I see his huge smile, as I’m sure we all do. Phil’s years on this Earth were short but they were full. I’m glad to not only have known him but to have been his sister for sixteen great years.

Everywhere he went, every person he met, he always had a way of making everyone around him feel loved. His big smile could sure make anyone feel happy inside. And all of his jokes were sure to make everyone smile, no matter what the circumstances.

Phil was always there when anyone needed him and he always will be. I’ll never forget the first time our cat sat on his lap. He got so excited and ran around the house exclaiming, “He loves me!” Of course he had that big smile on his face. Phil had many accomplishments in his life, including his Ph.D. Lawn and Garden Care business. With some of the money he profited off of this business, he was able to buy me a diamond necklace for Christmas. It wasn’t until a few months later when we were joking around that he said, “Whenever you wear that, I’m with you.” And I still believe that’s true. He may not physically be with us, but he’ll be watching over us; with that big smile on his face.