Thomas A. (Tom) Davis was born on Jan. 23, 1946, the son of Wilmer and Adele (Swensen) Davis. He died peacefully at his home on June 25, 2020, following an 18-month battle with multiple myeloma cancer.
There will be a drive through visitation at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings from 5 until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. A private service will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, at 10 a.m. The service will be livestreamed on the Eidsness Funeral Home Facebook page during the service time.
Tom grew up on his family farm north of Brookings and attended the nearby rural school, Grandview District No. 1 for grades 1-8. After graduating from Brookings High School in 1964, he attended SDSU, and then entered into the U.S. Army and served in the South Dakota National Guard.
In addition to his family, Tom had many outside interests. The two most important – the family farm and his love of cars and tractors – provided the direction for his working life. He farmed for many years with his father on Davis Farms, taking over the operation when his father died in 1986. He also spent a number of years working in sales, both of cars and farm equipment, both in Brookings and Phoenix, Arizona.
Most recently, from 2000-2018, Tom worked at Farmers Implement in Brookings. His friendly personality and ability to engage easily with people from all walks of life, plus his excellent knowledge of vehicles and equipment that he sold, made him a very successful salesman.
Tom collected and restored vintage tractors and cars, with a special love for Chevy Corvettes. On occasion he enjoyed driving one of his vintage convertibles in the SDSU Hobo Day parade or in other local celebrations. He also enjoyed drag racing with his friends. Tom could frequently be found in his shop on the farm, often surrounded by friends and his son, Will, restoring vintage tractors or working on a racing car. He also enjoyed boating with family and friends on Lake Poinsett, where he had a cabin for many years.
Tom’s first marriage to Lorraine Ahrenholtz, with whom he had a daughter, ended in divorce. He married Rose Pank in 1989, and they had one son together.
Tom is survived by his wife, Rose; daughter, Jodie (John) Fischer, of Stillwater, MN; his son, Will (Erica) of Brookings; his four (soon to be five) grandchildren: Taylor (fiance Charlie Turning) Hess, of St. Paul, MN, Katie Fischer, of Stillwater, MN, Tatum Davis and Oaklynn Davis (and baby Davis), all of Brookings; two sisters: Lou Ann (Terry) Trzynka, of Brookings, and Nancy (Kelly) Kammerer, of Lorgues, Frances; and several nieces and nephews.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to:
The Family of Tom Davis
C/O Eidsness Funeral Home
1617 Ochard Drive
Brookings, SD 57006
