1940-2026

James Edwin Davis of Kaufman, Texas, passed away on Friday, February 7, 2026, with his daughters by his side. He was 85 years old.

James is survived by daughter Shelby Snow and husband John; daughter Wendy Flatt and husband Shawn; and his grandchildren, Ellen and Emily January, Ryan and Aimee Flatt, and Julia “Comet” Snow. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen; parents Roy and Elsie Davis; and his daughter, Kelly Davis January.

James was born on December 3, 1940, in Dallas, Texas. He married his high school sweetheart, Kathy, in 1962 and welcomed daughters Shelby, Kelly, and Wendy in the years to come. James attended North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas) and worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 34 years until he retired in 1998. After he retired from the Postal Service, he continued to work as a courier because he loved meeting people and seeing new places around Dallas.

After finally deciding that full-time retirement didn’t sound so bad, James spent his days with his beloved wife Kathy as they settled into their golden years in Kaufman, where he supported Kathy in her church activities and quilting. He was an avid photographer who, in his younger days, loved shooting weddings and the amazing scenery of the southwestern United States – Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico were some of his favorites. He loved golfing (embracing golf video games when he was unable to walk the course anymore), taking the occasional casino road trips to Las Vegas and Tunica with his best friend Ted, and spending time with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. Although Parkinson’s reduced his mobility, he still made the effort to visit his favorite restaurants and see as many movies as he could.

Memorial gifts may be made in honor of James to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the Parkinson’s Foundation.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at 2:00 pm at Parker-Ashworth Funeral Home (2217 S. Washington St., Kaufman, TX 75142); a reception will follow the service – location details to be provided closer to the date.