James P. Davis

James Phillip Davis, 63, of Granville, Ohio, passed away Wednesday, March 8, 2017, in Dublin, Ohio. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of the late Loren Hill Davis (Dave) and Juanita Ann Davis (Nita).  Jim is survived by two daughters: Madeline Minklei Davis and Natalie Davis Minklei, and their mother, Lisa Minklei, of Columbus, Ohio; his sister, Linda Kay Davis of Kansas City, Missouri; and his partner of seven years, Lisa Savage, of Granville, Ohio. 

He was a graduate of Park Hill Sr. High School in Kansas City, Missouri, class of 1972. Jim received his B.A. from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, his M.A. from the University of Kansas, and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, all in English literature and the latter with a specialization in British Romanticism. He joined the Denison University faculty in 1985 where his genuine enthusiasm for literature and his ability to bring modern relevance to classic literature made him a celebrated and popular professor.  He will be sorely missed by his colleagues for his leadership, elegance, wit, and friendship.

As a father, he delighted his daughters with his irreverence and sense of play.  His embrace of fatherhood without regard to traditional role models was empowering and inspiring, and he instilled in them both his love of wordplay and literature. His cooking and love of entertaining was enjoyed by both family and friends.  

Calling hours will be Sunday, March 12th from 2-4 pm at the McPEEK-HOEKSTRA FUNERAL HOME, 133 S. Prospect St., in Granville. A gathering in celebration of his life will be held at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made online to ACLU; Stonewall Columbus; or to Denison University, P.O. Box 716, Granville, Ohio 43023, or online at support.denison.edu.   Please include a notation that the gift is in memory of Jim Davis.    Online condolences may be expressed at www.mcpeekhoekstra.com. 

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