Sam Davis, 64, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, August 20, 2015. A resident of Ely for the past 10 years, Sam was fortunate enough to have his wife, Shirley, at his side. Born in Spokane, WA to Don and Nitsa Davis, the oldest of four children, Sam and his family moved to Las Vegas in the later 1950’s. After being discharged from the United States Marine Corps, where he served in Vietnam, Sam very quickly married the love of his life, Shirley Sue (Pizinger) Davis. Durning their 43 year marriage, Sam and Shirley had two children, Bill and Mike, and many many more dogs, cats, birds, horses, geese, and goats. After 34 years as a respected drywall finisher in Las Vegas, Sam and Shirley moved to Ely in 2005. Ely was where Sam should have always been, as he was an avid hunter and fisherman.
Sam was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Nitsa, his brother Nick and his sister Mary.
Sam is survived by his wife Shirley, sons Bill and Mike (Amanda), sister Frankie (Ed Terlitzky), and many nieces and nephews. He will be missed and we will carry him in our hearts and minds always.
Services will be held September 4, 2015 at 11:00 AM at the Ely City Cemetery.
Sam Davis was our friend. He worked directly with us and he left no doubt that he was a fellow crusader in the ongoing war of placing homeless pets. He was a huge supporter of what The Posse was trying to do in this town – and showed it every day. If you know our manifesto – our mission – than you will appreciate that Sam believed in it wholeheartedly. He loved this city, and he loved every animal that came in through the doors of the city pound. Any time a new animal was found, or surrendered, The Posse was the first group he contacted so we could get the news online immediately. He delivered the camera holding the pictures of the animals to the members personally, as soon as he possibly could, so we would have the information available online quickly for the community to view. He would call several times a week to update on any changes (adoptions, fosters, etc… ). When we say he worked tirelessly with us, we mean that. Having his support in this manner helped find homes for countless animals in the time that he was with us. We’re not trying to speak negatively about anyone when we say that Sam Davis was the first animal control officer to work with The Pet Posse so tirelessly and faithfully. He made a point to get to know each of us on a personal level, and supported what we did 100%. We have had so much positive feedback from so many regarding Sam, that it is obvious that he was well loved and appreciated by so many. We were truly fortunate to have had Sam for the time that we did. He was an inspiration to those of us with The Posse, and left big shoes to fill. We will continue our work with the new animal control officer in the same way, but there will be no one else like Sam.
Sam Davis, you were a wonderful person – we thank you so much for all of the support, the friendship, the efforts you made for us – but especially the work you did for the animals. You will be missed always. May you rest in peace.
~ The White Pine County Pet Posse ~
The WPC Pet Posse sends our condolences, our thoughts and prayers, to Sam’s family during this very difficult time.
Shirley, and family, I am greatly saddened at your loss of Sam, I will truely miss him. He was a great man, and I was VERY blessed to be able to call him friend. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you in this time of sadness. I loved working with Sam at the guard shack up at the mine, and will never forget those wonderful days. Peace to you all from Eric Lawrence.