City celebrates life, service of Mayor Davies (2024)

The late Rev. Lawrence A. Davies Jr. touched so many lives through the spiritual and political aspects of his service that his family members decided one memorial event couldn’t capture them all.

That’s why they decided to hold a celebration of life weekend for the former pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site) and the man who may forever be known as “mayor for life” in Fredericksburg.

“Thousands of people have a story about him,” said M.C. Morris, assistant tourism director for the city. “When you think about the contributions he made, nobody can hold a candle to them.”

On Friday, Morris and other city workers greeted visitors who came to part one of the celebration event. From noon to 7 p.m., the City Council chambers resembled a funeral parlor, and many, such as Pamela Bridgewater, Fredericksburg native and former ambassador to Ghana, got tears in their eyes upon seeing the black fabric draped over Davies’ photo.

Flags of the state and nation stood beside his portrait, taken in 1996 by Bill Buttram Photography. On the table, which also was draped in black, was a folded American flag and a floral arrangement holding the urn containing his ashes.

Some visitors gently touched the container. Others lingered in front of the photo, remembering the man known for, as his obituary stated, his gracious nature and strong faith, passionate sermons, pioneering collaborative vision, economic municipal strategies and ability to bridge the gaps between races and denominations.

Jane McDonald, former director of the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board, said simply she was thankful for his service.

“One never doubted his word or his commitment to the community or his love of Fredericksburg,” she said.

Davies, 94, died on Aug. 11, 2024. He led parishioners at Shiloh Baptist for 50 years and served 10 years on the Fredericksburg City Council and 20 years as mayor, the longest in city history.

Family members of Davies and his wife, Janice, who died five months earlier, decided that both aspects of his life “deserved specific focus and opportunities for those who loved and served with him,” said Martin Jeffrey, son-in-law. He’s married to Sharron Jeffrey, the Davies’ sole surviving child.

The weekend celebration of life continues with a church service on Saturday, Aug. 31. A visitation is planned at Fredericksburg Baptist Church, 1019 Princess Anne St., at 9 a.m. followed by a memorial service at 10 a.m., which will be live-streamed to Davies’ home church.

Interment will follow at Glen Haven Memorial Gardens with a repast afterward at Shiloh Old Site.

“We are so grateful for the tremendous community outpouring to our family,” Sharron Jeffrey said, adding she wanted to “provide access to as many people as possible to pay their respects and to share his impact.”

During Friday’s event, scheduled speakers on the hour recalled some of Davies’ many community contributions, including his efforts to establish the Fredericksburg Regional Transit, known as FXBGO! The transit headquarters are named after Davies, and even though Olivia Klele, administrative support specialist, never met the former mayor, she was well aware of his legacy.

“He was a true champion for the residents who needed it the most,” she said.

Bridgewater brought local representatives from all the sister–city associations Fredericksburg has, in France, Italy, German, Nepal and Ghana, and stressed that the successful alliances started with Mayor Davies and continued with every mayor after him.

She also remembered the way he, as her pastor, drove her to college, because her family didn’t know anyone else with a station wagon that could carry her luggage.

When they arrived at the freshman dorm, at Virginia State University in Staunton, there were no elevators, and Davies hoisted the steamer trunk onto his shoulder and carried it up three flights of stairs.

Throughout the ups and downs of life, Bridgewater said she’s never forgotten one of her pastor’s signature scriptures.

“He would say, we can endure the night, but joy cometh in the morning,” she said, tearing up, just as she did at the sight of his draped photo. “Whenever there’s a dark day in my life, I’ve always thought of Rev. Davies.”

Susan Spears, president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, said “there’ll never be anybody like him.” Davies had the ability to make people feel loved, respected and that their opinions mattered, she said.

“He was easily the greatest person I’ve ever known,” she said.

Dorrette and Jerry Stephenson, who moved from Massachusetts to Fredericksburg almost two years ago, met Davies in June at the 170th anniversary of Shiloh Baptist. His character quickly became apparent, she said.

“You know when you meet some people, you feel like you’ve known each other forever?” she asked. “That’s the presence he had, we were able to talk for a minute and we felt so blessed to have been able to meet him.”