LeRoy "Lee" Davids' Obituary
LeRoy (Lee) Davids, age 94 of Madison Heights, passed away on December 27. LeRoy was born on September 17, 1929 to LeeRoy Davids and Lillian Davids (Read). Lee married his “one in a million” sweetheart Joy Phair on July 29, 1948. Lee and Joy were blissfully married for 70 years and she was always the center of his life, even after her passing on July 12, 2018. Lee is survived by his children, Mark (Joy), Bill (Patty), Mary Willer (Doug), John (Judy) and Tom (Veronica); 13 grandchildren and 17 great- grandchildren. Lee was preceded in death by his sister Florence Scanlon and his infant son Timothy LeRoy.
Lee and Joy were inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 2011. This recognition capped off an over fifty year dedication to the sport of amateur wrestling, which was the center of the family’s life. Lee and Joy founded one of the first youth wrestling clubs in the country in Hazel Park in 1961. Lee created one of the most successful wrestling equipment businesses in the country in order to serve the wrestlers they got to know over the decades.
Lee had begun his work in sporting goods when he was 14 years old and needed to help his mother financially. With the help of Duard and Mary Darling, Lee started Gun Bugs Haven in 1955, first focusing on hunting and fishing. Lee was dedicated to his business as he was to everything he undertook (an impressively long list including volunteer work, establishment of the Hazel Park Jaycees, Chairman of the Hazel Park Democratic Club, Director of the Detroit Sportsmen’s Congress and three terms as Hazel Park City Councilman.)
Lee was one of the most dynamic people to walk the face of this earth and will be missed, but remembered fondly, by so many people throughout Michigan and within the national wrestling community.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 30 from 4 to 9 pm at Hopcroft Funeral Home at 31145 John R. Rd., Madison Heights. There will be a brief service at 7 pm at the Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Lee’s name to the National Wildlife Federation or to the Michigan Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
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