James Gibson Davis, Jr. (Jim) passed away on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, at age 97. He spent his last days surrounded by family that dearly loved him and he them. James was born in Cleburne, TX on 13 October 1928. He was the oldest child of Lenora (Nora) and James Gibson Davis, Sr (Gib).

In 1935, James’ family moved to Sahuarita, AZ where he attended Sahuarita Elementary School and then Wakefield Junior High School in South Tucson. James was very active in 4-H and in 1943, he was awarded a 4-H Rural Electrification Certificate for learning to install, use, and manage electricity safely. With the certificate came a Thanksgiving trip to Chicago, IL by Santa Fe Railroad Pullman Coach to attend the 22nd National 4-H Congress.

In December of 1943, the Davis Sr. family moved to a farm midway between Coolidge and Florence, AZ and Jim attended Florence High School from which he graduated in 1947. He began engineering studies at Phoenix College with the intent of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot. During the summer of 1950, while James was home for the summer, he met JoEllen Jones at a Coolidge First Baptist Church social function. In November 1950, James was drafted into the Army to fight in the Korean War. On 15 March 1951, James and JoEllen were married shortly before he shipped out to Korea. James was always very proud of his Korean service with the 630th Engineer Light Equipment Company under the 19th Engineer Construction Group. The Company operated in central Korea, in what is now the DMZ, and provided essential heavy equipment support for frontline operations.

In 1953, he returned from Korea and began farming in Gilbert. Then on 26 October 1955 he used the GI Bill to start flight training. He got his commercial instrument rating at Sky Harbor and was intent on being an airline pilot. To gain flying experience he began flying a crop duster for Moody Dusting Service. After experiencing “real seat of the pants flying” James dropped his dream of becoming an airline pilot and began a career as a crop duster. In 1960, James and seven other pilots came together and bought Marsh Aviation (owned by Gene Autry and Bill Marsh). Under their ownership, Marsh Aviation became the largest crop-dusting company in Arizona and the 3rd largest in the US. In 1969, James experienced an “unscheduled landing” that damaged his spine and he had to stop flying. He returned to school at Ariona State University (ASU) and in 1971 he received a BS in Industrial Arts Education and a 1982 he received a MS in Industrial Technology. He taught at several Arizona high schools before being hired by Gila Pueblo College in Globe, AZ.

He retired from Gila Pueblo College as Extension Coordinator in October 1994. James also had a strong service ethic, and this manifested itself in the service he gave to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) for which he was a member since 1953, the Globe Historical Society, and as a Board Member and then President of Fellowship Towers.

James is preceded in death by his parents and his wife JoEllen. He is survived by his brother Robert Davis (Patty), his sister Bette McKinney (Julian), and his three children, Barbara (Gino Zappia), Joanne (Jay Slotkin), and Jamie (Elaine Davis), eight grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, three nieces and two nephews, and eight grandnieces/nephews.

A viewing is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, 2026, 9:30AM and Funeral will begin at 10:00AM at Lamont Mortuary, 328 South Hill Street, Globe, AZ. The interment will take place at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona at 2:00PM following the Funeral Service. 

The family respectfully requests that, in lieu of flowers, a tax-deductible tribute donation be made in James’ name to either Arizona IOOF Rescue Lodge #12 (https://ioofaz.org/GLAZ_Lodges/Rescue12.html); or the Gila County Historical Museum (https://www.gilahistoricalmuseum.org/).