Darryl Davis

The Word of God tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And so it is with great joy that we celebrate the life of Darryl Alan Davis. He was joyfully greeted as the first-born child to his parents, Evelyn Davis and the late Leopoleon Davis, on September 20, 1958, in Washington, DC.

It is said that Darryl exhibited signs of being a gentleman as early as the first grade, and would open doors, pull out chairs and carry books for his female classmates at Davis Elementary School and Sousa Jr. High School. He also exhibited a love for music, and was a talented pianist who studied music during his youth under Dr. Dorothy Hardy at the Hardy Studio of Music.

Another of Darryl’s passions was basketball, and he earned numerous awards and trophies for his sporting accomplishments on the court. But it didn’t stop there. Darryl was also an avid swimmer, and earned his lifeguard certification as a teen, working at his community’s recreational center for several summers. Another of his hobbies was photography, something he discovered during his college years. He became a skilled photographer for the campus newspaper and yearbook. And then there was Darryl’s love for collecting cars, of which he collected many.

Darryl graduated from McKinley Technical High School in 1976, and attended Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He went on to earn his bachelors degree in Theology from Trinity Bible College in 1999. He was in the process of completing his Master of Divinity from the Biblical Life College and Theological Seminary.

Throughout his life, Darryl felt the pull of his call to the ministry. At an early age, Darryl received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He went on to preach his first sermon at the Free Gospel Church of Christ as a young teen and afterwards, several young people and adults gave their lives to Christ. Many of them were baptized that night. He continued this ministry into his young adulthood and served as the Assistant Pastor and mentee to his uncle, the Rev. James Alfred Fenwick, at True Baptist Church in DC. He also conducted many Bible studies in the homes of his family members, and at several law firms where he worked as a paralegal. His burden to reach the lost spurred him to pen the book “This Gift of Life” which was published in 2003. He also co-produced and hosted a television outreach ministry, “CrossCrown Presents”, which aired in Washington, DC and in Kansas City, KS.

In 2001, Darryl met his life partner, Lisa Wolfe, and a year later, they joyfully shared nuptial vows. To this union, two children, (Darryl Alan, Jr., and Cody Michael), who preceded him in death, were conceived. Upon becoming a married man, Darryl sought a church organization that he felt had a strong and sure foundation for he and his wife to attend. He settled on the First Church of Christ (Holiness) USA in Washington, DC. He served there for two years as an Associate Minister, under the leadership of Elder Ralph Martino.

In 2004, Darryl was approached by his father-in-law, and then-Bishop, the late Bishop Bennett M. Wolfe, about beginning his pastoral journey. After seeking the Lord’s guidance, Darryl accepted the call and migrated to Kansas City, Kansas, where he became a member of the North Central Diocese, and pastor of the Christ Temple Church of Christ (Holiness) USA. During his nine-year tenure, he also served as the diocese Holiness Youth Ministries President, and the Midwest District Chairman.

Another of the joys of Darryl’s life was his love for all things feline. Already having pets of his own, and upon moving to Kansas City, Darryl was delighted to discover that stray cats lived on the church property. Thus began his ministry of loving, feeding and caring for the neighborhood cats. He compared them to the lost souls wandering and in search of “spiritual” shelter and food, and made it his mission to not only meet the needs of lost souls, but also the needs of the stray cats. His early morning “cat calls” could be heard throughout the neighborhood every day – much to the delight of his neighbors.

Darryl had a wonderfully magnanimous personality. He never met a stranger, and was always willing to console, counsel and pray for others. During his illness and recovery process, Darryl’s Christian testimony, his courage and his hard-working attitude inspired his doctors, nurses, therapists, family and neighbors. His efforts were incredibly encouraging, and his faith in God’s ability to heal him completely was very strong. And so, God did restore him and make him whole on the evening of January 28, 2014, when Darryl made his joyful transition from labor to reward, and to his eternal rest.

He leaves to cherish always his larger-than-life presence, warmth, sense of humor and caring nature, his loving wife, Lisa Davis; his mother, Evelyn Davis; one brother, Tyrone Davis; two sisters, Cheryle Davis and Evette Collins, all of the Washington, DC area; his mother-in-law, Louvenia Wolfe (St. Louis, MO); two brothers-in law, Marcus Wolfe (Arcelia) of Chicago, IL, and Eric Wolfe of St. Louis, MO; two nephews, Jonathan Collins and Marcus Wolfe, II; six nieces, Jada and Jenell Collins, Tyra Davis, Destiny Brown-Wolfe, and Maria and Lydia Wolfe; his Christ Temple Church family; his North Central Diocese and Midwest District family; a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, co-workers, neighbors, and friends; his favorite pet cat, Snow; and all of his beloved strays.