West Corinne lost a skilled mechanic and jack-of-all-trades, as well as a prolific dreamer, on June 4, 2021, when Larry “Homer” Dean Davis made an abrupt exit from this life while walking across one of the many crop fields he had spent more than three decades working for J.Y. Ferry and Sons.
Larry had spent the last several years battling the effects of congenital heart failure, a challenge he consistently faced with a smile and humorous observations.
Larry was born Aug. 1, 1957, to John B and Nola Davis, in Jerome, Idaho, and the family made frequent moves before settling in Kanab, Utah, where Larry grew up and was educated. He graduated from Kanab High School, which taught him traditional subjects such as English and math, while his dad’s trips to the bar taught him that an underage driver is better than a drunk one, and his own underage trips inside the same establishment taught him about the dangers of boilermakers and overindulgence— particularly after once getting caught by his parents.
When Janna Allen crossed Larry’s path in St. George, Utah, in 1977, it was the beginning of a relationship that would become a nearly 43- year marriage. Their wedding on June 9, 1978, also marked the beginning of Larry’s much-beloved, life-long hobby of alleging abuse at the hands of Janna, which she only occasionally justified, and which led to the development of Larry’s trademark “duck and cover” defensive posture. Larry hardly smiled bigger than while enduring Jana’s playful slaps after saying or doing something with the willful intent of getting a rise out of her. Janna’s responses to Larry’s torments led him to bestow upon her the nickname, “Oscar”—as in, “the Grouch.”
Larry and Janna had a deep and devoted love and friendship. They were only ever apart out of necessity and spent as much time together as they could.
Following their wedding, they lived for about six years in Sanpete County, Utah, where Larry worked at Art King’s Dairy. Larry heard about a job opportunity at the Ferry’s in Corinne and applied. Larry had worked there for more than 35 years at the time of his death.
Larry and Janna had two children, Alexander John “A.J.” and Robbie. It was Larry’s habit of constantly calling A.J. “Boy” that earned him the nickname “Homer,” the moniker he was most well known by throughout Corinne.
Robbie was always Larry’s “Baby Girl,” but she still spent her share of time plowing crooked, meandering rows through fields while accompanying her dad in the tractor.
A.J. and Robbie each gave Larry two grandchildren: Sierra and Jace Davis, and Mason and Drew Hales. Larry adored his grandchildren and would brag about them to anyone who would listen, whether they were genuinely interested or not.
In addition to raising A.J. and Robbie, Larry played a role in influencing the youth of Corinne. As one person said at Larry’s wake, there was hardly a boy who grew up in West Corinne Larry didn’t teach to drive a tractor, which often included hands-on experience driving it, that regularly resulted in less-than-straight rows.
As much as anything, Larry was an example of living in the moment. There was hardly ever anything so urgent awaiting him in the future that he wouldn’t take time to interact with the people and world around him. He never missed an opportunity to turn a one-hour job into a three-hour endeavor, which was often due to him meandering along, lost in his own thoughts; or engaging in long conversations with those working in the stores where he picked up parts or people who were simply fortunate enough to be out in their yards as he was passing by.
He also made sure to reach out to those he loved with random phone calls in the middle of the day whenever he had opportunity, which, as he told it, most often came while he waited on others to finish their jobs so he could do his.
Those regular phone conversations with family and friends were often wildly random, with topics ranging from complete synopses of the most recent series he had binged on HBO or Netflix, his thoughts on certain conspiracy theories, or his grandiose plans in the event he ever won the lottery. But he could also hold his own in any conversation about cars, trucks, old Westerns, or the state of the Brazillian rain forest, if he had recently watched a documentary or travel show about it. He was perfectly content to spend hours consuming obscene amounts of information about whatever show or subject currently had his attention; information he would invariably use to fuel his next conversations.
Later in life, Larry found unlimited joy upon the seat of his Goldwing motorcycle, whether by himself—lost in the next batch of thoughts he was going to share with others—or while taking his wife, children, or grandchildren for rides.
Larry was unapologetically himself and gave that freely to everyone he came in contact with; For many, in his death will leave a void, the silence of which will be deafening.
Larry is survived by his wife, Janna; children, A.J. (Katrina) and Robbie (Sean) Hales; grandchildren; mother, Nola Davis of Ephraim, Utah; siblings: JoVona (Lynn) Seely, Kenford (Connie), Adam, Zan (Dee), Marco, and Robert (Angela); and many, many, beloved nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father, John B, and his mother-in-law, Loa Mae Allen.
Viewings will be held Friday, June 11, from 6 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 12, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., at Myer’s Mortuary, 205 S. 100 East, Brigham City.
Graveside services will be held in the Corinne Cemetery Saturday at 11 a.m. where friends and family will be invited to share their memories of Larry.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Larry Davis Memorial Fund at Myer’s Mortuary to help offset funeral expenses.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.myers-mortuary.com.