Monday, September 16, 2024
AZLE — When Azle-area resident Jeff Davis died, mourners paid tribute to him by doing burnouts — spinning car wheels and leaving tire marks — in front of his home.
The burnouts were a fitting gesture considering Davis’ main interest and passion — cool cars. Davis’ daughter, Sarah Stevens, has lots of old photos of her dad’s previous vehicles, including muscle cars and classics. He and his family had even owned local car lots.
“Throughout his life there wasn’t a vehicle he wasn’t interested in either looking at, working on, racing or selling,” Stevens’ sister Alicia Davis wrote in their father’s obituary.
Jeff Davis built a garage at his home dedicated to his passion. Stevens remembers her dad working out there when she was young and instructing her to “hold the flashlight still” and pass him tools.
“He had me out there handing him the wrong size wrenches,” she said with a laugh.
Stevens said her dad would also find Barbie jeeps on the side of the road and upgrade them with car batteries.
“It would make the tires spin, and it would pop wheelies and stuff,” she said.
Transforming ordinary things into something cool was Jeff Davis’ specialty, Stevens said. For example, she recalled how he turned a wagon into a cooler with racing slicks.
“He would take something that's just normal and then just hot rod it up,” she said
As an adult, Stevens hasn’t exactly adopted her father’s habit of tinkering with cars but said he made sure she and her sister knew how to change tires and oil before they could get their driver’s licenses. Stevens said her dad was her hero, and they were very close.
“He just had the biggest heart,” she said. “He didn't have a mean bone in his body. If he was around anyone and they were trying to talk crap or start some drama, he'd be the first one to defuse the situation. He was so kind. He would give you the shirt off his back and pour his heart on his sleeve, and you always knew exactly how much he loved you.”
Jeff Davis died in April 2023 at 57 years old of a heart attack. He had previously been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, but Stevens thought he was getting better with the medication he was given. Then one day, he collapsed at work and was rushed to the hospital. Stevens didn’t get to see her father before he passed.
Stevens said her father was “loved by everybody,” not just her. In fact, mourners filled up his memorial service at Biggers Funeral Home in Lake Worth, and only standing room was available.
When he died, Jeff Davis left behind his prized 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle.
“After his passing, we kept the Chevelle as a tribute to him,” Alicia Davis said in a statement. “Beyond the metal and paint, what he truly left us was the profound appreciation for the beauty of craftsmanship and the importance of preserving history.”
Stevens said she wasn’t aware of her father ever entering any of his vehicles into car shows, but this changed at this year’s Cars for the Cause in Springtown, hosted by overdose awareness group We ARE Our Brother’s Keeper. Stevens decided to enter the Chevelle in the show because her cousin was one of the sponsors and offered to get her a spot.
Lo and behold, the Chevelle placed second at Cars for the Cause. Stevens likened the moment to how a Miss America contestant must feel when winning the crown. She was so shocked that she doesn’t remember accepting the award, though she does recall her 12-year-old trying to snap her out of it.
“I froze, and so she, like, hit me, and she was like, ‘Mom! That’s you!’” Stevens said.
The whole event was an emotional ordeal for Stevens, even from the beginning when her uncle had to bring her a new car battery when the Chevelle wouldn’t start. Once she got to Springtown, Stevens said she felt happy to be at the show but also sad her “big guy” wasn’t with her.
“I knew that if my dad was here, he'd be super excited to be there,” she said.
Still, Stevens made sure Jeff Davis attended the show in spirit. She brought a large picture of her father from his funeral as well as his urn, which is a handheld replica of his Chevelle.
“He used to joke about being buried in it,” she said. “That’s a big grave to dig for a car, so this was the closest thing we could get.”
During the show, Stevens got a kick out of watching her daughter guard the Chevelle and warn people not to touch it if they got too close.
“All the kids know how important Pop’s things are, especially the car,” Stevens said.
Stevens’ experience at Cars for the Cause has inspired her to enter other car shows, including Sting Fling’s Classic Car Show in Azle. She’s not in it to get another trophy but just enjoys seeing people react with pleasure at the sight of her father’s Chevelle.
“Anytime anyone is like, ‘Oh, cool car,’ I can just hear my dad in my head being like, ‘Yeah, it is,’” she said.
In her statement, Alicia Davis said: “Today, as we look at those classic cars, we see more than just vehicles. We see our father’s legacy — a legacy of passion, dedication and a deep appreciation for the finer details of life. His love for classic cars was a gift he gave us, one that continues to inspire and connect us to him. Every time we turn the engine or polish a fender, we feel his presence, and we are reminded of the incredible father who taught us to find joy in the journey, and beauty in the details.”
Stevens and her sister plan to enter the Chevelle into as many nearby car shows as possible.
“We're not getting rid of it,” Stevens said. “It's in our family. It's going to be in our family until the wheels fall off … and then hopefully, if it could be fixed, then we'll keep it even longer after that.”
