Obituary: Jerry Davis
Oct. 23, 1949 — Aug. 6, 2021
Jerrell (Jerry) Kenneth Davis, the first child of Jerrell and Dorothy Davis, was born in Freer, Texas, on October 23, 1949.
He grew up working on his family’s farms and ranches, where he acquired a strong work ethic and curiosity-driven motivation that inspired him throughout his life.
He moved to the Vail Valley in 1975, where in partnership with his brother Darrell he started the first cable television company in the area. This was the beginning of Jerry’s long entrepreneurial career, from which he went on to develop Telephone Communications Corporation in Vail, as well as his all-time favorite business, KZYR-FM “The Zephyr” radio station in Avon.
Jerry was a dedicated public servant who shared his time and talents with his community, serving on Avon’s Town Council, where he was Mayor from 1990-92. He also worked with Taos elected officials to create a lodging tax that today helps fund mass transit in the city.
Jerry moved to Taos in 1992 where began his final beloved project, the Inn on La Loma Plaza, a National Historic Register property converted into an Inn that has shared ambiance and hospitality for almost 30 years.
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Jerry was a remarkably kind, generous, and loving person who cared deeply about his family and worked hard to engage in a lifetime of successful entrepreneurial and community projects. He led an accomplishment-rich existence, living life the way he wanted to live it. His smile and gentle eyes will be missed incredibly by those who loved him.
He died Aug. 6, 2021, at the age of 71 in Albuquerque. A memorial service will be held in Taos in November.
Jerry is survived by his mother Dorothy Davis; wife Peggy Osterfoss; daughter Lexi Davis; daughter and son-in-law Martinique and Craig Prohaska; granddaughters Elodie and Emmeline Prohaska; and siblings Darrell Davis, Pamela Mueller, Deelyn Davis, John Davis, and their families.
