John Davis, 85, of Grinnell, died on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 at University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Grinnell with Rev. Scott Foley presiding. Lunch will follow in the Parish Center of the church. Private family interment will be at Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell.

Visitation will be held prior to the service at St. Mary Catholic Church beginning at 9:30 am.

John Calvin Davis was born the son of Van Eugene and Gertrude Mae (Brown) Davis on March 22, 1937, in Grinnell, Iowa. He was raised in Grinnell and graduated from Grinnell High School in 1956.

John was united in marriage to Frances Clara DeCorte on November 28, 1959 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Brooklyn. They made their home in Grinnell where they were blessed with a daughter, Donnette and a son, Timothy.

John enlisted in the United States Army in 1957, serving in the reserves for six years. John was a manager at DeLong Sportswear for 42 years, retiring in 1998. He was a member of the Elks Lodge in Grinnell and St. Mary Catholic Church. Back in the day, John was an auxiliary policeman and served on the Parks & Rec Board. His hobbies included camping with his family, cross country motorcycle trips with his brother Van Jr., pheasant hunting with Bob Lawthers, boating at the Lake of the Ozarks, fishing with his son, and being a HAM radio operator like his brothers Steve and Van Jr.

John survived a meningioma brain tumor in April 2020 and not being able to travel to Colorado to see his son was very hard on him. The highlight of his day was going to Montgomery's to see his coffee drinking buddies where he loved to talk about going to his grandson, Travis' wedding in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in March 2021.

He will be remembered as a loving husband and father, being a hard worker, a respected source for financial advice, for being meticulous and an all-around great guy.

John is survived by his wife of 64 years, Fran Davis of Grinnell; his daughter, Donnette (Mike) Ellis of Grinnell; daughter-in-law, Beth Davis of Henderson, CO; grandson, Travis (Jené) Davis of Arvada, CO; Tyler Ellis of Fort Collins, CO; great grandchild Aberdean Rae; and brother, James (Regina) Davis of Newton, MS. He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Timothy Davis (2020); and siblings, Van Davis, Jr., Leo Davis, and Steve Davis.

John's eyes were donated to the Iowa Lions Eye Bank for research.

Memorials may be designated to the Grinnell Fire Department or to the University of Iowa Hospital Burn Treatment Center and mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Memories and condolences may be shared with John's family online at www.smithfh.com.