Sheron Everett Davis

Sheron Everett Davis, 78, of Haines City, Florida, passed away peacefully Friday, May 16, 2025, surrounded by the love and strength of immediate family. Sheron was a pillar of strength, a steady and comical presence to those within his orbit. Sheron was husband to Carolyn Ann (Brown) Davis of Haines City, dad to C. LeAnn Davis of Richfield, Ohio, firstborn son of Lydia Ann Davis of Bryceville, Florida, and big brother to Joan (Dwight) Braddock of Bryceville and DuWayne (Claudia) Davis of Jacksonville, Florida. Sheron was honorary grandpa “Duck Duck” to Asher Collis of St. Augustine, Florida, and Connor and Annie Revels of Jacksonville. Sheron had countless family members that were close friends and friends that he considered family. He especially valued the relationships he had with Carolyn’s son Steve Collis (Kelsey), her sister and brother-in-law, Debbie and Lynn Upchurch, Jacob (Rebecca) Revels, Walter Collis and Jamie Collis.

Sheron was born at his grandmother’s home in Glen St. Mary, Baker County, Florida on June 19, 1946. His father, William Everett Davis (deceased), was a railroad man and the family lived in various company housing west of Jacksonville through Sheron’s grade school years. As often as possible, young Sheron spent time in Baker County surrounded by his Davis, Williams, Crews, and Thrift relatives, where he was known as Toby. Sheron graduated from Baldwin High School in 1964 as Valedictorian of his senior class. After high school, Sheron moved to Baker County and graduated from Lake City Junior College (now Florida Gateway College), driving the college’s bus to help with tuition. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1967, later transferred to the Army Reserves, and was honorably discharged in 1972, serving as a Military Policeman and earning commendation as an expert rifleman. While in college, Sheron was recruited to the Jacksonville office of State Farm Insurance in 1967, where he was an underwriter, retiring in 2005.

Sheron was a bluegrass music aficionado and talented musician, self-taught on the guitar and banjo. He formed a band for a season and traveled to bluegrass shows around the region, cultivating friendships with various local and professional musicians. Sheron often hosted private concerts at the home he built on the St. Mary’s River in Macclenny, including bluegrass greats Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Dave Evans, and his cherished friend, Charlie Sizemore.

Sheron was the opposite of a bandwagon fan of the Florida Gators, first investing in football season tickets after the noteworthy 0-10-1 season in 1979. For the next two decades, Sheron and LeAnn would load up the “Roach Coach” RV on Saturday mornings, picking up a crew that often included Jay Milton, Scott Davis, Byron and Sherree Brinkley, Curtis and Carol Tharpe, Pat (deceased) and Janet Harris, Dwight and Nancy Crews, and as many others as could fit in the vehicle, making a quick stop at Hardee’s for a biscuit (and beverages next door), and heading down SR 121 to “The Hole” for a day of tailgating and antics (sometimes furthering their education at the “American Business College” on the way home). The Roach Coach would also appear at the annual Florida-Georgia festivities in Jacksonville, where the crew tested their endurance and personal hygiene for a week of tailgating and festivities, and various NASCAR races in Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta, and elsewhere (Sheron had a brief stint as a dirt track race car driver in Lake City, but quickly determined he was better suited as a spectator or garage help for his friends and family).

In relocating to central Florida for work in 1998, Sheron quickly established a community of close friends around Lake Hatchineha, near Haines City. Always a fisherman, Sheron relished boating and fishing in his backyard canal and lake, as well as trips to the Florida Keys for off-shore adventures. After hanging up his tackle box, he continued to enjoy his place within the “Hatch Patch” community, often showing his appreciation with surprise Amazon deliveries (an appreciation that extended to family and friends located anywhere Amazon delivered). As his health declined, Sheron was grateful for the kindness of the Hatch Patch community, especially Don and Carolyn Davis, John Macchione, Joan and Howard McNair, Hooter and Audra McClintock, Brian and Peggy Peavey, Mike and Jeanie Rousch, Patsy and Charlie Russell, Cathy and Rick Stripling, Duane and Kathy Townley, and Ronnie and Mary Lou Moore.

Sheron was a tinkerer and problem solver, earning the nickname “MacGyver” (or “McGiver”) from many of his Hatch Patch friends. He enjoyed building and rebuilding antique cars, tractors, race cars, and the occasional television, and collecting spare parts for any or all of them. If he couldn’t fix it, he would solve the problem with duct tape or a garage door motor. His exceptional problem-solving capabilities and logical and reasoned approach eventually led to the nickname “Judge”, for which Sheron was exceptionally honored. Sheron even offered to give some tips to LeAnn’s best friend and newly elected Baker County Judge Julie Johnson, who he viewed as a second daughter.

Services will be 11:00 AM Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Brandy Branch Baptist Church in Bryceville, Pastors Tommy Richardson and Deryle Adkison presiding, with a 10:00 AM family calling hour prior to the service. Friends and family are invited to share a meal and their Sheron/Toby/McGiver/Judge/Duck stories at the church following internment at Brandy Branch Cemetery. Pall bearers are Jimmy Crews, Scott Davis, Harry Fouraker, Jay Milton, Leroy Smith, and Randy Smith. Honorary pall bearers are Randy Braddock, Byron Brinkley, Ronnie Brugh, Steve Collis, Dwight Crews, Jason Davis, Tommy Eddy, Terry Johnson, Timmy Johnson, Johnny Milton, Don Proctor, James Smith, Curtis Tharpe, and Lynn Upchurch. Arrangements by Archer-Milton Funeral Home, Lake Butler, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends and family consider donations in Sheron’s name to the Alpha-1 Research Program at the University of Florida College of Medicine (http://alphaone.ufl.edu/).