Wilbur "Bill" Hoover Davidson

Wilbur (Bill) Hoover Davidson 89 of Fleming Island, Florida passed away on October 13, 2020 a month after he and his wife Joyce celebrated sixty-three years of marriage. Born in Alliance, Ohio, Bill was the youngest child of Wilbur Edward Davidson and Hazel Hoover Davidson. He was brother of sisters, Janet Ream (Vere) and Suzanne (James) Pappenhagen.

Bill was a graduate of Alliance High School in 1948. He received a B.S. Degree in geology and a B.A. Business Degree from Mount Union University in 1952. After serving in the army, he earned a degree in 1956 from Thunderbird School of Global Management. During college years he worked at Klein and Roderick's in Alliance and Babcock Wilcox. His employment history includes, Goodyear Aircraft, Goodyear International, Monsanto Chemical, Esso Chemical, and Bridgestone Tire.

As sales representative, Bill worked for Goodyear for two years in Ethiopia with a wide territory encompassing Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Yemen. He continued to travel extensively in over forty countries for work and pleasure. Bill later established Bridgestone's dealerships throughout the southeast U.S., and founded Florida Bandag, a commercial retread tire company, with partners William Huggins, John Othen, and Hugh Cotney. The company was one of the original donors to the Clay County Fairgrounds. As sole owner, he sold his business and retired in 1996.

Bill liked working with wood and building. During their first year of marriage he built a sailboat and sewed the sail. Wood from the lift vans became a baby bed, and he drafted the plans for their home in Chesterfield, Missouri. While he still had some sight, he helped restore the historic Old Jail in Clay County.

The Davidsons had five children: William Roderick (Patricia), the late Jenny Lynn, Heather Dawn, Lesley Joyce, and Guy Andrew Davidson (Amanda). Bill leaves four grandchildren: Brittany, Thomas, Corey, and Cameron and also his great grandchildren: Lynae, Malaya, Waylon, Earving, and Warren Thomas and one brother-in-law Gene and sister-in-law Jeanne Fahnert, nieces Elizabeth Fahnert, Kathy Boyce (William),and nephews Vere Ream (Barbara), David Ream (Joanne), Jeff Ream, James Pappenhagen (Nancy), Thomas Pappenhagen (Judy) and Robert Pappenhagen (Jill) and grandnieces and grandnephews.

While in St. Louis Bill was ordained a deacon in the United Presbyterian Church. He was a former member of Ortega Methodist and charter member of Fleming Island Methodist.

Pastor David Jackson will conduct a memorial service for Bill where he joined last at First United Methodist Church of Green Cove Springs on Walnut Street on October 25 at 2:00P.M.

A graveside service will be held at 2:30pm, October 26, 2020 at the Jacksonville National Cemetery.