To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Obituary
I remember three very fond memories of my father. The first is being swept up into his arms and feeling like I could touch the sky because of how tall he was. The second is waiting for him at the door so he could come home from work, gather me and my sister onto his lap, and recap the day with us. The third is how every evening, after dinner and a bath, he would scoop my little brothers up, loudly singing, “IT’S ALMOST SLEEPY TIME.”
If you knew our father, Michael Lynn Davis, you knew how safe you could feel with him. You knew he had moments of strong opinions, and even greater moments of unspeakable love. If you knew our father, you knew about wry jokes, laughter that led to tears, sunflower seeds, basketball, coffee, plants, zuppa toscana, his wife, his girls, his boys, and his students. If you knew our father, you knew love.
Michael Lynn Davis was born on February 4, 1961, in Los Angeles, California, to Lucious and Ruth Davis. He grew up as one of five children, quickly becoming the kid who had many friends, played sports, and picked up hobbies like photography, craftsmanship, and architecture. At the age of five, tragedy struck Michael and his siblings with the loss of their father to a medical accident, after which the family moved to Alabama to be closer to relatives.
By the age of twenty-two, our father boarded a Greyhound bus with his cousin Melvin to start a new life back in California, where he found work with a gas company. For a brief time, he considered joining the Navy, but ultimately chose to continue building his career. After settling into his new town, our father went out one evening with a friend to a nightclub called The Bitten Apple. As he made his rounds, he caught the eye of the woman who would become the love of his life, Michelle Douyon. They danced and talked all night, and when he asked if he could give her his number, she said yes—only to later discover it was the wrong number.
Weeks later, on August 15, 1989, during a blind double date with her roommate, our mom opened her apartment door to find our father standing there with his friend—surprised and smiling at the coincidence. They laughed about the phone number mishap, and after three years of dating, were married on August 15, 1992. They settled in Sacramento and, over the years, built a life together rooted in intentionality, dedication, care, and love.
Michael had many accomplishments and was a beloved teacher, architect, coach, mentor, husband, and father. He was a giant personality within his family and community. He is survived by his twin flame, Michelle Davis; his four children, Alina, Ariana, Addison, and Andrew; his siblings, Monica, Lawrence, and Cherie; his father- and mother-in-law, André and Barbara Douyon; his five grandchildren, Harleigh, Micha, Kingston, Iyoki, and Iyana; and many other extended family members and friends.
One of our father’s favorite quotes was “You end up how you start out,” and while in many cases this is true, life has a way of changing you right in the middle of your own journey. So I added to the phrase to say, “You end up how you start out, until you realize how you start is less important than how you finish.”
Job well done, Daddy.
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God sees all of us, intimately. He sees our struggles, our pain and our heartaches. His eyes are always on us, even when He might feel distant. He is watching you and I with love and care because we are His children. When my mother died a few years ago, There wasn’t anything that anyone could say that would relieve my pain. The hugs that I received worked for me. I wish I could hug you right now Michelle, the same way you hugged me at the time of my moms death. I want to tell you and your beautiful family how truly sorry I am.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Michael, but those photos of him clearly reveals a man who loves and is loved. His big smile is contagious, embracing and warm. He reminds me of myself in some ways (coaching, sports, crafts, loving his children) when I was younger. I regret that I didn’t get to spend any time with him, but I will someday🙏🏿❤️ God be with you and your family.
Love Mom
Daddy, I'm so glad this is only partly true. Your entire life story is proof of that. Thank you for the beautiful example of a life intentionally chosen. 🤍🤍
-Ari
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