Roger Grossman
News Now Warsaw
I want to spend some time in this space this week remembering someone whom I called ‘friend,’ and many of you did also.
Dr. John Davis passed away last week at the age of 89.
You can add his name to the list of people who lived a full life and whose legacy is spectacular.
Dr. Davis was a leader.
He was the President of Grace College and Seminary for seven years, was Executive Vice President for six years and worked for the seminary in the admissions department for four more years.
He led by teaching and preaching.
He pastored churches in South Whitley and Tampa and taught the Bible in 45 different countries in his lifetime.
He led by digging for truth and evidence.
He was involved in over a dozen archeological expeditions in Middle East countries like Israel and Jordan, and also here in the United States and Central America.
He is also well known for his work in translating manuscripts into what we call the New International Version of the Bible — one of the most widely used versions in the world. And he’s been a part of writing study editions of the New American Standard version and the New King James Version.
The man knew his Bible.
But the two things I would like to focus on more today are his work in radio and in this newspaper.
You may not know that Dr. Davis was big into hockey, and he worked as a color commentator for Fort Wayne Komet hockey for 10 years.
And you also may not know that he lent his sturdy voice to high school and college sports broadcasts during his younger life.
And the other thing I want to make sure we spend some time on is his column in the Times Union.
“The Outdoor Scene” was a fixture in this publication for 31 years.
He wrote each time with a combination of education and humor that lifelong journalists rarely master.
He wanted us to understand that it was fun outside, and he set out every week to prove it.
I find it quite ironic that his life ended so quietly, tucked away at Grace Village, praising his Lord for each day he had been given, considering how often and in how many ways he lived his life in front of us in all the capacities that he did.
My prayers go up for his lovely bride, Carolyn, and his family.
He was a wonderful man, and my heart is broken that I live in a world where Dr. John Davis is no longer present.
And yet, he is still here, and he will always be here with us in his own way.
I will never pick up my NIV Bible and not think of him.
I will never write another column and not think about him.
His influences are everywhere.
His voice is now silent, but the foundation of where that voice came from can never be drowned out.
Farewell, Dr. John Davis, and thank you…for everything.
Maybe, someday, you and I can share a fishing boat on a quiet lake with my dad and my son—bobbers drifting along in four different directions on a perfect day.
In the remaining space I have left …
Congratulations to the Whitko Lady Wildcats on their regional championship Saturday in the Tiger Den. I know Frankfort feels really far away on a map, and it is. But ask Warsaw fans about last year—that ride home after winning two semi-state games there and punching their ticket to the state championship game felt more like 20 minutes than 2 hours.
Winning makes a lot of things better.
That we haven’t heard a lot about the WNBA labor dispute is not a big surprise. The season starts in May, so there is no urgency on either side to even chat, let alone get serious.
Don’t expect to hear much of anything until mid-March.
March Madness is about a month away. Have you watched any college basketball this winter? There are a lot of good teams and several really good teams. But there isn’t one that you can say “that team is a lock for the Final Four” except for one: Michigan.
They are solid and consistent, and it feels like they have the pieces to win four tournament games.
Oh, and another irony: isn’t it interesting that the warmest week of our year so far is the week that Major League Spring Training begins in Florida and Arizona?
It won’t be long now!
