New West St. Mary Civic Center name to honor Joe Davis

Former public servant and businessman Joseph "Tooney" Davis' name will be enshrined on the West St. Mary Civic Center in Sorrell.
Joseph Milton Davis Jr., also known as “Tooney” was born Wednesday, July 30, 1941 to the late Joseph Milton Davis Jr. and Elvena Rideaux Davis in Four Corners (formerly Millard, La.)
He attained his formal education on the schools of Iberia and St. Mary parishes and was a graduate of Willow Street High School, class of 1960. He went on to attend Southern University in Baton Rouge with a concentration in mathematics.
Tooney married the former Ruth Ann Archangel in 1962 in Jeanerette and were blessed to enjoy 46 years together. From this union three sons, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren were added.
After returning home from Southern, his work experience began when his father gave him a truck and he began hauling different items. In 1964 he was the first African American to be employed at Cabot Corporation in Bayou Sale. Also in 1964, he and Ruth became the owners of Davis Trucking Service Inc. and in 1990, he began sugarcane farming and established Joe Davis Farms. Both businesses were liquidated in 2004 when his health began to decline. He was able to employ over 30 persons during these years of operation.
Joe’s public service to the community began in 1967 where he was one of the first two blacks elected to public office as a police juror in St. Mary Parish (now parish councilman) representing Ward 1, since Reconstruction. His desire was to make a difference, and that he did. During his 32 years of public service, roads were paved and resurfaced and named, fire districts established, street lights were placed, ground breaking for the Elizabeth Barabin Davis park and water district plant (of which he was able to have Gov. Edwin Edwards present as the keynote speaker for the groundbreaking), solid waste collection implemented, the ground work for the Port of West St. Mary and the Intracoastal canal bridge in Louisa. He secured the monies for the District 1 sewage project. He was elected to the St. Mary Parish School Board where he was successful in the re-appointment of the district by increasing African American representation in the districts and supported the tax for construction of West St. Mary High and Boudreaux Middle Schools. One of his greatest desires was to have a civic center built to serve the Four Corners and surrounding communities. That desire became a reality and it was completed in and dedicated in 2005, during his final term. Enough land was purchased so that other additions beyond the civic center could be made such as tennis courts, a swimming pool and track filed could be implemented.
Every community that was within the district he represented witnessed and benefited from the many improvements that are evident today. Joe never limited his thinking to what was before him, but was a visionary, who saw potential and never settled. Another of his future desires was to also incorporate the area where a post office and sheriff sub-station would have been established to better serve the families of west St. Mary Parish.
Other accomplishments include: one of the first blacks to serve on Teche Electric Cooperative board, where he served as president and vice president, member and vice president of the minority trucking and transportation development corporation as well as many others too numerous to name.
On Friday, Sept. 19, 2008, Joseph Milton “Tooney” Davis Jr. peacefully transitioned to eternal rest. Gone too soon is how his passing can be summed up.
If Joe was still here we know that he would still be fighting for the people of West St. Mary Parish. Never there was a giant as he, which cannot be replaced. He was a man for all people, loving, giving and selfless.