William “Ray” Davis III

William “Ray” Davis III, passed away on Wednesday, August 28th. Ray was a proud lifelong professional of the PGA and an alum of Coastal Carolina University.

Ray was preceded in death by his mother, Nancy Crawley. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Laura Davis, and two amazing children he was immensely proud of, Will Davis IV and EmilyGrace Davis, as well as his bonus daughter, Peyton Prince. Ray is also survived by his sister and her family, Nona, David, and Shaughnessy Lindquist; his uncle, Steve (Loretta) Kinlaw; his in-laws, Beth Nicholson, Sara, Jason, and Zef Bednarski; and numerous friends he counted as family. Those who were fortunate enough to be part of Ray's inner circle knew his loyalty well, including lifelong friends Gary Tew, David Robertson, Joe Devaney, Matt, and Stacie Sapochak.

Born and raised in Fayetteville, NC, Ray spent his summers on the beaches of the Carolinas fishing and surfing until he discovered golf, which became his lifelong passion. If you couldn’t reach him, you could always find him on a golf course somewhere in the world. Right up there with the birth of his children, one of his most cherished memories was the first time he played Augusta National.

Ray and Laura met when he took his first Head Pro position at Deertrack in Surfside, SC. He was busy building his career, and she was fresh out of college, “just happy to be at the beach.” How they ended up together for the next 30 years is a miracle they still laughed about right up until Tuesday.

Ray was welcomed into Rabun County in 2000 with open arms when he took the Pro’s job at Waterfall Country Club on Lake Burton. He served and loved Waterfall until his golf retirement 15 years later, forming lifelong friendships with some of the original members, whom he traveled and hunted with every year.

At the age of 50, Ray began two new careers—going into sales for NEGA HVAC and opening State Line Spirits. He was a quiet supporter of many local non-profits and a dedicated champion of Rabun County golf programs, heading up an annual tournament to raise funds for years. He spent his evenings at their home in Kingwood, riding the golf cart with Laura along the course, chasing geese and ensuring all was as it should be.

Ray was looking forward to his second retirement and watching Will and EmilyGrace grow into adulthood. He will be deeply missed.

The family will have a Celebration of Life Service at Kingwood Country club Restaurant Sunday September 1, 2024, at 2:00 PM.

Memorial contributions can be made to F.A.I.T.H.’s Power House Donation Form (donorperfect.net) or P.O. 1964 Clayton, Geogia 30525 in memory of Ray Davis.

Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is honored to serve the family of William “Ray” Davis III. Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is in charge of the arrangements. If there are any questions, please call 706-782-9599. An online Memorial Register Book is available at www.beckfuneralhome.com.