Skeet Davis was born July 20, 1947 in Calhoun County, Florida to NA and Verbie Davis. He attended Blountstown Schools thru his graduation in 1966. He met his wife Barbara in 1965 thru mutual friends and they were married in 1967 before having their first child Amy in 1968.
After high school he continued working for Masons Concrete for a short period of time and then began work with a construction crew from out of state at the hospital in Chattahoochie. In 1968 he began working at the mill in Port St. Joe.
Cathy, their second daughter was born in 1971 after the family had moved to Brookesville, FL where Skeet was employed at Sumter Correctional.
He also worked part time at a ranch where there was a youth camp held every summer for “city kids”. Skeet had a love for horses all his life. It was only fitting as an adult he would teach children to garner this same love and appreciation for the animal. Parents would fly their kids into nearby Tampa to spend a week at the rural camp each year. Skeet and the ranch owner would drive to airport weekly throughout the summer and pick up kids to teach them about horses.
When the family moved back home to Calhoun County, the horses came with and the trail riding continued. There wasn’t a local saddle club but Skeet knew if families had a place to do family outings they would. Along with some friends he set out to get information about starting a local saddle club. Florida Panhandle Saddle Club was founded in 1981. After being granted 10 acres from the Board of County Commissioners, the arena was constructed by volunteers and students from the local FFA Club. The arena still stands in it’s original location today. In 1999, following the death of Skeet Davis it was renamed to honor his memory and dedication to the Saddle Club.
“We decided early on that we would raise our family in a way we could be very involved in what the kids did” said his wife Barbara. Whether that be horses or softball or other school activities Skeet always felt it was important to be present and be involved. Many times when his girls were growing up he would make an effort to also be present for children who may not have had parents who attended every ballgame, or every field trip etc. When it came to 4h camps, school field trips, softball fees, etc. Skeet was always willing to cover fees for kids, feed them, open his home to them, or just give them rides to and from events. Skeet dedicated his life to creating a family atmosphere for children.
Balancing everything with the Saddle Club and Softball for the girls was quite the feat but nonetheless he and Barbara stayed the course and managed to get it all done. They planned and took part in swimming trips, cookouts, 4-H Camps, trail rides, ball tournaments and more! Skeet even served as assistant coach of Cathy’s 18 & Under Softball Team, who traveled to Idaho and finished 5th in the nation one year. Skeet was present the entire time.
He lived a life evident of the fact he loved children, he loved family, and he loved America.
One of the most comical yet beautiful memories of Skeet was his participation in the Sr Citizens’ Mr. Calhoun County Beauty Pageant. Numerous locals participated in the fundraising event and one by one they all strutted their stuff across the stage. Skeet took home the prize for Best Legs, and if you were present that night surely you can still recall the lovely curtained leg competition. It was quite memorable. However, when it came time for the talent portion, Skeet completely stole the show with his patriotic speech given in accompaniment to Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA. There wasn’t a dry eye in the building. The emotional speech earned him a standing ovation and the title of Mr. Calhoun County.
While that title was earned thru good fun, it’s certainly one that was deserving. No better ambassador for Calhoun County could have been chosen. A man of integrity, who cherished family and the importance of being present, a man who generously gave of himself daily, and served his community proudly, Skeet Davis truly is a Calhoun County Local Legend.
