Davis, Arthur Willard "Bill", Jr. 80, passed away January 13, 2023 from lung cancer. Bill was born on June 6, 1942, in Graceville, Minnesota, to Art and Elaine Davis. The family settled in Richfield, MN in 1951 which initiated a lifelong connection to the city for Bill, meeting friends that remained close throughout his life. Upon graduation from RHS in 1960, Bill received his B.S. in Education from the University of Minnesota, where he excelled in baseball and basketball. In 1964, he was named MVP and Captain of the basketball team and was a member of the 1964 baseball National Champion team, earning all-tournament honors. He was awarded the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor for his scholarship and athletic prowess by the U of M. He was inducted into the M Club athletic hall of fame in 2002. Bill went on to play five years of professional baseball for Cleveland and San Diego before his career was cut short by injury. He then built a career in commercial real estate. He married his wife of 56 years, Margaret "Meg" Fuller, in 1966 and returned to Richfield in 1975 to raise their family. He remained active in the community, helping found the Richfield Spartan Foundation, dedicated to providing funding for student scholarships and co-curricular activities at RHS. He was active in his church, serving multiple terms on the leadership of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church and decades as an usher for Sunday services. His favorite pastime was fishing with friends and family, especially on the MN Opener and trips to Canada. Bill was most proud of his family and loved to spend time with his grandchildren, attending their various events and gathering at the family cabin on Lake Florida. Preceded in death by parents, Art and Elaine. Survived by wife, Meg; sons, Drew (Christine) Davis and Ryan (Becky) Davis; sister, Dee (Bob) Joynt; and six grandchildren, Lainey, Brooke, Jenna, Jack, Kel, and Kate. A memorial service will be held at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis on Friday, January 27, at 1 PM, with visitation one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to spartanfoundation.com or mtolivet.org. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream of the service will be available on Bill's obituary page at: Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996

Published on January 22, 2023