Obituary of Erna Alfred Davis

October 17, 1928 – Killam, Alberta
October 11, 2021 – Calgary, Alberta

The Herald lost its most faithful subscriber when Erna (Ernie) Alfred Davis passed away on 11 October a few days before his 93rd birthday. 

The son of pioneer-settlers who came from Norway and Iowa in 1906 to Flagstaff County, AB, from an early age Ernie showed the loyalty and work ethic that were his lifelong hallmarks. The fourth of six children, he attended the one-room Park School through grade 9, then developed a condition requiring a year’s hospitalization. The recovering veterans who were his companions in Edmonton and the subsequent year of correspondence school were formative in his ability to appreciate others’ individuality, cultivate curiosity, and hone self-discipline. He completed high school in Sedgewick, was class valedictorian, and immediately started work for the Bank of Montreal in a succession of small towns. Coming to Calgary in 1950, he articled as a CA, passed exams on the first try, and in 1957 married Thora Lowry, an independent-minded and fun-loving woman who countered Ernie’s more frugal and cautious nature. During the mid-1960s, Ernie invited two articling students to create a firm, Davis, Daignault, Schick & Co. He truly enjoyed his specialty of insolvency administration and was a respected fixture of Calgary’s business community. His life-long hobby of woodworking developed into master craftsmanship, as all who have seen his furniture and cabinetmaking will attest.  His fascination with automotive ingenuity never abated. In retirement, he relished travel and relaxation, especially when combined with a beer and conversation. A wise counsellor, patient listener, and fair-minded person, Ernie was a true gentleman. In 1965, he and Thora purchased a home in Varsity Acres, then the outskirts of Calgary; he was able to remain there until his last days thanks to a cadre of wonderful caregivers. As Ernie wrote, “Death is as much a reality as birth, growth, maturity and old age—it is the one certainty of life.” 

He will be forever missed by his son Scott (Wendy), daughter Tracy (Max) of Evanston, IL, brother Neville (Mary) of Ottawa, ON, and a host of nieces and nephews. 

No services or events are scheduled. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Arthritis Society, Alberta Regional Office #1700, 393 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1E6 Telephone: 1-800-321-1433.  info@ab.arthritis.ca. Condolences, memories and photos may also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Ernie Davis, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area.