On April 29th, my "Cousin Russell" (really my Dad's first cousin) died. He died three months short of the fifth anniversary of my Grandfather's death.

It's hard to put into words what he was to me. Saying he was my Dad's cousin doesn't sound like much. It doesn't sound like enough. So even though he moved to Erie in the early '90s, and I remember many Christmas parties and "city wiener roasts" at his home in Erie, he will always be my "Cousin Russell (a long Southern pause) from Mississippi".

He lived quite a life. Perhaps the most telling thing about him in his obituary is that "he was a natural storyteller".

Clyde Russell Davis, 82, was born in Erie, Pa., May 15, 1927 and died Thursday, April 29, 2010. He is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde M. Davis and Alice Harris Davis; and by his brother, Roger L. Davis (Barbara Hartleb Webster); and his sister, Phyllis Hevner (Raymond). He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Shirley M. Kuns Davis; his daughters, Jane Davis and Sarah Templeton (Alexander); three grandchildren, Alice Christensen, Lloyd Christensen, and Bryn Templeton; his sister, Carol Stubbe (Earl Clinton); and his brother, Stanley R. Davis (Laurie). Clyde graduated from Academy High School, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in World War II and graduated with distinction from the University of Arizona, School of Mines. He worked as a Petroleum Engineer for Shell Oil in California, Wyoming, Montana, and Texas. He worked overseas for ARAMCO (The Arabian American Oil Company) in Saudi Arabia, and for Conoco and British Petroleum in the North Sea in the United Kingdom. He returned to the United States and worked in Mississippi as the State Oil and Gas Board Supervisor and later as the head of an environmental group, Mississippi Pumping Corp. In 1991 he retired and moved back to his home town, Erie, Pa. He was a natural storyteller and a lifelong lover of nature, especially the Pennsylvania woods. He leaves behind many friends from all the places he lived. We miss him and love him so much. He leaves us with many wonderful memories. Burial will be private with the memorial to be held at a later date. Gifts in his name may be sent to the nonprofit, Great Lakes Hospice, 1700 Peach St., Suite 244, Erie, PA 16501-2134. Funeral services will be provided by Burton Funeral Homes, 602 W. 10th St., Erie, PA 16502
Published in the Erie Times-News on May 8, 2010