John Byron Davis, M.D.
August 8, 1922 – November 26, 2018
Dr. Davis was born in Omaha on August 8, 1922 and died on November 26, 2018 in Leawood, Kansas. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Cornelia “Nene” Cowan; his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Herbert H. Davis; and his brother and best friend, Herb Davis Jr., and Herb’s wife, Nell. He is survived by his wife, Marlene; daughter, Dana Miskell (Bill) of Leawood, KS; son, Jay Davis (Kim) of Omaha; daughter, Cindy Bringardner (Bruce) of Austin, TX; sister, Petie Hilsinger of Boston, MA; grandchildren: Chip Miskell, Ashley Dwight, John Bringardner, Nina Leonard, Andrew Bringardner, J.B. Davis, and Laura Davis, 14 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.
Dr. Davis graduated from The Asheville School and Yale University and served in the Navy as a Captain of a ship during World War II in the South Pacific. He then graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical School, did his surgical residency in Chicago, and returned to Omaha to practice surgery with his father. He continued practicing surgery until his retirement, at which time he joined his brother in running the family business at Miracle Hill Golf & Tennis Center which was founded by his father. He wrote two books, one of which was “A Town Too Tough To Die” about Cody, Nebraska which became Cody’s town slogan. He was a past president of Omaha Country Club, past Board member of Physicians’ Mutual Life Insurance Co., and a member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church. He loved wintering at his home in Palm Desert, California and golfing at Palm Valley Country Club. He was an avid horseman his whole life, loved tennis, golf, hunting, and painting.
MEMORIAL SERVICE: Monday, December 3rd at 11am at All Saints Episcopal Church, 9302 Blondo. Private Family Interment: Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Memorials are suggested to All Saints Episcopal Church, Nebraska Historical Society, The Asheville School, or the charity of your choice.
5 Comments
Learned a lot from this surgeon. He was always looking for the teachable moment with Student Nurses. He told us once when finishing an abdominal case and a dressing too bulky for his satisfaction was being applied that “if I can’t sew them back together so they will stay, no nurse is going to tape them together to stay”! God bless his life of service to the country and mankind!
I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Davis at The Omaha Country Club. He was truly a wonderful, caring individual. He had a unique gift of making each staff member feel valued.
It makes me very sad to know that John is gone. There will be a big void in my visit to Palm Desert should I decide to go. I have never known anyone that was expert in so many activities. Golf, Painting, Tennis, Horseman, Hunting and evidently some authoring. Maybe others that I don’t know about.
I met John through my friend Nor Hannon. We spent many days out in the desert in the Hummer. Those days are well etched in my memory. My sympathies are with John’s family and many friends.
My deepest sympathy to the family! Dr Davis did surgery on me then also an emergency appendectomy on my daughter the evening of his daughters wedding prenuptial! ! What an example of a dedicated and caring Dr.! Thank you for sharing him with us ! My daughter is 58 today so may have been 50 years ago!
Dr. Davis was my Uncle John. I remember his intelligence and humor. His late wife, my Mother’s younger sister, was unfailingly happy and loved Dana, Jay and Cindy,their three children.
Sign Guestbook