A Tribute to Dr. The Hon. Rae Davis

NAME OF FEATURE | THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2021 19 TRIBUTE TO DR RAE DAVIS XI A S I review the tributes to my late hus- band Rae, I have observed that many of the stories shared are consistent with my own experience with him, and they have elicited both smiles and tears. I have been struck by the recurring themes – his com- mitment, his sincerity and his authenticity – words that capture the attributes I most admired in him. In our over 20 years together, Rae and I quietly celebrated numerous milestones, and with every one of these, our bond was made even stronger. He epitomised peace and calm and had a great capacity for fun and camaraderie – characteristics that helped to create the home that he described as the place where he was happiest. Rae gave his all to every activity he un- dertook and this, along with his unwavering commitment, made it hard at times to dis- tinguish between those tasks which were associated with his formal responsibilities and those which were not. He was able to elicit the best from everyone, whether it was his teamworking on an elaborate project, or the person preparing one of his favourite dishes. His patience with others was often matched by his own need for patience from others, because he sometimes required them to wait while he decided what to say in a discussion or debate. But one could always be sure that when his response did come, it would be so well considered and so convincingly delivered that he rarely modified it or resiled from any position he had taken or any view he had expressed. But Rae was not all work or seriousness; he loved travel, the arts and fine cuisine. He had a great appetite for the various genres of music; he loved our own mento music and knew the lyrics of songs recorded by numer- ous local artistes. He could recognise most ballads sung by Neil Diamond from the first three chords and would sing along to the end of selected pieces. The Gaithers Musical Band brought himmuch pleasure in the moments when he wanted the upliftment of religious music, and he was fairly impressive playing the part of one of ‘The Three Tenors’, or Andrea Bocelli. For my own part, I would happily sing No Other Love for him, responding to his many demands for encores. He must have watched all the movies in the Bourne series, as well as The Notebook and TheTheory of Everything numerous times. Today, I amwithout my walking thesaurus, mentor, teacher, proofreader, editor, cheer- leader, confidant, best friend, husband and soulmate. Rae’s amazing influence, however, remains in the stories that have been told and will be told – stories about the application of his many talents and gifts and the numerous ways in which he touched the lives of those with whom he came in contact. He will be remembered for his love and commitment to both people and causes. Many things will not be the same, but will be better from the contributions made by my beloved Rae. JEMELIA DAVIS Wife A picture of love, elegance and bliss – Rae and Jem.