"Corwith (Mike) Davis, Jr. died Monday, February 18, from complications related to cancer. He was 58 years old.

Mike was born in Jacksonville, Florida on May 15, 1949. He was educated at the Choate School in Connecticut and at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia where he majored in English. After college he married Cynthia Keller (Cynnie) in 1972 and moved to Tennessee where he began his career as a farmer. He then moved back to Jacksonville, Florida before finally settling on a farm in Southern Albemarle County in 1975.

Mike was a farmer. He ran a dairy, tended a vineyard, and raised crops, beef cattle, and a variety of other obscure plants and animals. He also ran a local wine shop for a brief period of time. He was fond of saying that if he had had a business card it would have read, "Farmer, Writer, Boulevardier." He would then add that by "writer" he meant a "writer of checks."

Mike will be remembered for his humor, devotion to his family, love of life, and the breadth of knowledge he had of his many varied interests. He was a naturalist who loved the beaches, marshes, plains, and mountains. He had a categorical knowledge of all the plants and animals therein and an especially astute understanding of wine. Utterly devoted to his animals, he woke before dawn every morning to tend to them. Mike loved art, relished books, and delighted in sharing his knowledge with those who would listen.

Mike's friends were legion. Coming from every walk of life, they embodied the varied aspects of his unique personality. Mike was, for example, both thrifty and generous, gregarious and shy, salty and sweet, rustic and refined. He was his own man, keeping his own counsel and marching to the beat of his own drum. Mike also had an active civic life.

He served on the Albemarle County Planning Commission, the Farm Bureau Board, Board of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Community Foundation, and was an active supporter of many other civic and charitable organizations. He was a former vestry member of St. Paul's Memorial Church, serving, for a time, as both Senior and Junior Warden.

He is survived by his wife Cynnie, his daughter Caroline Davis and her husband Brandon Partridge of Washington, D.C., his son Corwith Davis and wife Blair of New Orleans, Louisiana, and his beloved granddaughters Ava and Polly Partridge.

A memorial service celebrating Mike's life will be held at 2:00 PM, on Friday February 22 at St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church at 1700 University Avenue in Charlottesville, Virginia. The service will be conducted by the Rev. David Poist. Pallbearers are Bill Atwood, Tom Daniel, John King, Jim Murray, Andy Powell, and George Tony. The family requests that no flowers be sent. Those wishing to make a memorial contribution are asked to please consider Children Youth and Family Services at 116 Jefferson Street West, Charlottesville, Virginia 22902. Friends may sign the guest book at www.hillandwood.com." (Florida Times-Union, February 22, 2008)