He was born January 27, 1948 in Knoxville, TN to Cecil and Burla Davis. He married Elaine Quinn on September 18, 1971. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Charles Thomas Davis.
Surviving are: his wife, Elaine of Pekin; four children, Jeff (Becky) and Michael (Sucheata) of Marquette Heights, IL, Tim of Peoria, and Ruth Furkin (Corey) of Springfield IL; and six grandchildren: Amber, Kaleb, Tristan, Colin, Catherine and Isaac. Also surviving is brother Steve of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Bill graduated from Pekin Community High School in 1966, and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois in 1974, opening the Davis Law Office in Lewistown, IL that year. He and Elaine also bought a nearby farm where they lived until moving to Pekin in 2020. From 2006 until retiring in 2016, Bill was Circuit Judge for Fulton County in Lewistown, IL, where he implemented a drug court treatment program.
Bill took his kids bicycling on RAGBRAI several times (with Elaine driving behind, just in case!), and loved motorcycling across the USA on his BMW. He was also fond of tropical fish and the Koi Pond he hand-dug on his farm. Bill wasn't afraid to tackle jobs others wouldn't do, such as fixing dozers and other farm machinery, building his own house, and constructing a one-mile-long levy on his field to protect it from the Spoon River floods. Most of this he did single-handedly (with a little help from Elaine and the kids)!
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, February 23, 2024 at Henderson Funeral Home & Crematory, 2131 Velde Dr. Pekin, IL with Pastor Heather Robertson officiating. A visitation will be held Thursday, February 22 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM also at the funeral home. Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.
Memorials may be made to Donor’s Choice.
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