Saturday, July 27, 2024
AZLE — Local residents mourn the loss of lifelong Azleite, Bobby Lea Davis, after he suffered an apparent medical episode at the Clean Jeans Laundromat at 130 Industrial Ave. Jan. 23.
Davis, 62, had a long history of heart problems and underwent numerous surgeries to treat his congestive heart failure, loved ones said. He had recently undergone complex surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center to replace two heart valves with a mechanical valve. Davis was prescribed blood thinners and had just completed physical therapy the morning of the incident. He was in the Industrial Avenue area to do blood work at Quest Diagnostics.
His girlfriend, Donna Barnes, brought him to the appointment but did not realize Davis had gone into the laundromat to use the restroom before his appointment at Quest. After a long time waiting, she inquired inside Quest as to Davis’ whereabouts. Davis had not yet checked in, so Barnes left the office and saw a crowd and police cars gathered outside the laundromat.
She didn’t know they were there for Davis until speaking with authorities, who informed her of Davis’ passing and their attempts to resuscitate him.
“We don’t know for sure what happened, but I don’t believe he was shocked with his pacemaker defibrillator,” Barnes said in an interview with the Tri-County Reporter. “The doctors really think it was just his heart was weak or possibly a blood clot because of how fast it happened. There was no warning. He was feeling great. It wasn’t foul play or anything like that. It was just his heart.”
Barnes has requested the public respect her and the Davis family’s privacy during this difficult time. Barnes recalled receiving multiple rude comments and requests for information on Facebook, leading up to admins removing one user’s comment for posting Davis’s name after they found it on the medical examiner’s website on the day of his passing.
“I had not even finished contacting his children,” Barnes said of the untimely comment.
Davis was born in Azle and was a lifelong Azle and Boyd resident, having done all his schooling in the area. Davis is survived by five children, his girlfriend and loved ones throughout the Azle-Boyd area. His family and friends plan to hold a service for him at White’s Funeral Home in the coming weeks.
