Charles Davis Obituary

Charles Havens Davis CHARLESTON - Charles Havens Davis, of Charleston, SC, husband of Karen Kline Davis and resident of Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community, entered eternal rest on May 1, 2024. Chuck was born in Chicago, IL in April 1942 to Edmonia Kintner Davis and Edmund Havens Davis. He grew up in Flossmoor, IL, but his family roots were in small town Indiana. At Indiana University, Chuck made life-long friends in the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, where he rode and coached the Little 500 Bike team and served as President of the House. Most importantly, Chuck met his wife of almost 60 years, Karen Kline Davis, when they served as President and Vice President of the Indiana Student Foundation and organized the 1964 Little 500 Bike Race. He earned a B.S. in accounting with distinction. After serving as a Finance Officer in the U.S. Army, he returned to Indiana and received his M.B.A. Chuck and Karen moved to Glenview, IL in 1968, when Chuck began work in the Commercial Loan Dept. of Harris Bank in Chicago (later acquired by Bank of Montreal). He worked at the bank for 32 years, rising to Executive Vice President with responsibility for all commercial lending for BMO US and Harris Bank Chicago. Chuck was quiet and calm under pressure with a deep intelligence. He listened patiently, made decisions decisively, and had a talent for identifying "good risks" for the Bank. In Glenview, Chuck made cherished friends at Glenview Community Church, North Shore Country Club, and as President of the Glenview Library Board of Trustees. After 58 years as a Midwesterner, he and Karen retired to Kiawah Island, SC, where he kept his finance skills honed, serving 12 years as a Trustee for the Kiawah Conservancy and an active member of the Kiawah Island Finance Committee. Chuck loved to walk the beach on Kiawah and drive the rural roads on Johns Island. More than anything, Chuck valued family. He especially cherished having his four granddaughters visit Kiawah. He loved history and would recount family stories alongside U.S. history as he toured the girls around the island and into Charleston. He patiently watched them play on the beach and made them laugh with surprise dives into the swimming pool. Chuck is survived by his wife, Karen; son, Scott Edmund Davis (Kimberly); daughter, Katherine Armstrong Davis Vega (Dio); brother, Craig E. Davis (Nancy); sister, Stannye Llewellyn; and granddaughters: Kendall Kelly Vega, Kelsey Davis Vega, Lily Kathryn Davis, and Mae Havens Davis. There will be a Celebration of Life for Chuck in Glenview, IL. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.