
Jennifer Janette Davis
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Jennifer Davis
July 5, 1948 - September 11, 2024
Dr. Jennifer Janette Davis aged 76, passed away September 11, 2024 while receiving hospice care at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, AL. She was the oldest of four children of Harold W. Spies and Sadie F. Compton Spies. Jennifer was born July 5, 1948 in Alliance, Ohio. After graduating from Wheaton Central High School in Wheaton, IL she attended Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL graduating in 1969 with a BA in Biology. Jennifer married Danny N Davis of Rome, GA on August 21, 1969. In the same year she continued her education at Emory University and completed her Master's in Biology in 1971. In 1973, she welcomed a daughter, Emily Davis Mixon while working at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. In 1976 Jennifer and Danny moved to Rome, GA and her collegiate teaching career started at Shorter College. She took a sabbatical in 1989 to attend Mississippi State University where she would complete her PhD in Biology. In 2001 Jennifer became a full Professor at Shorter College and continued to teach and mentor students until she left Shorter in August of 2012. She went on to teach two years part time at Kennesaw State University until she retired in 2014. In the fall of 2019 Jennifer and Danny moved to be closer to their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren in Hoover, AL.
Jennifer served as a member of the Ethics Committee of Floyd Medical Center, Rome, Georgia. She held various committee posts for the Association of Southeastern Biologists and served as vice-president of the association from 2010-2011. In 2012 the Association of Southeastern Biologists awarded Jennifer with the Meritorious Teaching Award. During her time at Shorter College, Jennifer led study abroad trips to England, Sweden, Burma, Ecuador, and the Galapagos Islands.
Survivors include her husband Danny Davis, daughter Emily Davis Mixon (Michael), grandchildren Lillian F. Mixon and Alexander M. Mixon, her brothers, Arthur Spies (Mary Jane) of Ankeny, IA, Harold W. Spies Jr. of Beaumont, TX and sister Susan Reinhart (Roger) of Fargo, ND, her brother-in-law Joseph C. Davis (Susan) of Powder Springs, GA and many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends are cordially invited to a visitation on Friday, September 20, 2024 from 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM with a Celebration of Life ceremony directly following at Daniels Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Lustgarten Foundation: Pancreatic Cancer Research or the American Cancer Society for the advancement of Pancreatic Cancer Research.
