State Representative Mike Cheokas of the 138th District sponsored House Resolution 1400 honoring the life and memory of retired South Georgia Technical College Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Dealers Service Technology Instructor, Richard “Ricky” Davis, of Buena Vista who passed away earlier this year.
Donna Davis, wife of Rick Davis, and their nephew, Trent Davis, accepted the framed resolution from South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford recently who expressed his appreciation to the Davis family and to Mike Cheokas for honoring Rick Davis.
Davis had been an instructor at South Georgia Technical College for 33 years when he retired from teaching in April of 2018. He was a South Georgia Technical College graduate of the Diesel Mechanics program in 1978. He was hired as a full-time instructor for the Diesel program in 1981 and worked there until 1991. He left in 1991 as part of a reduction in force.
Davis returned to South Georgia Tech in 1995 as the technical instructor for Heavy Equipment Mechanics. He returned to Diesel Technology in 2002 and then transferred back to the Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology Program in 2006. He remained in that capacity for the remaining 12 years until his retirement in 2018.
“Rick Davis was a very special individual,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “He was an integral part of a tremendous legacy of outstanding diesel equipment students and instructors here at South Georgia Tech. He was a mentor to so many people at South Georgia Technical College and he shared freely with others his outstanding work ethics, knowledge, integrity, and wisdom. We are honored that Representative Cheokas introduced this resolution to honor his life and memory. I am sure that his family is as well.”
The House of Representatives Resolution stated that “be it resolved by the House of Representatives that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of Rick Davis and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing.
House Resolution 1400 highlighted Davis’ career at South Georgia Technical College as well as his “magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live.”
The resolution also called attention to him as a “compassionate and generous man who will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community, and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him.”
Davis passed away on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at his residence. He was survived by his loving wife Donna, and other family and friends. A celebration of life was held on February 22, 2020 at the Davis residence.
In memory of Rick Davis and in honor of the tremendous legacy that he was a part of at South Georgia Technical College, a scholarship has been established at South Georgia Technical College for the SGTC Caterpillar Think Big Heavy Equipment Dealer’s Service Technology program, which has been recognized as one of the best in the nation as well as internationally.
Donations to the SGTC Rick Davis Caterpillar Scholarship can be made to the South Georgia Technical College Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus, GA 31709. All donations will be acknowledged to the family.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford is shown above accepting a copy of the House of Representatives House Resolution 1400 honoring the life and memory of former SGTC Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Technology Instructor Rick Davis from State Representative Mike Cheokas, who was unable to be present with Donna Davis accepted the framed copy.