“He earned his gold star.”

That’s what Lexington County Council Vice-Chair Darrell Hudson had to say about George Hearn “Smokey” Davis, who served on council from 1997 to 2013.

Davis was known for passing out gold stars he made with the expression, “You deserve a gold star,” minted on them. He passed them to others he felt deserved recognition.

Hudson recalled that Davis “reminds me of my dad.” He said he was able to get to know Davis personally over the last several years, and while they never served together on council, Hudson does sit in his chair, calling following in Davis’ footsteps is an honor.

The County of Lexington remembered Davis for his service on council, stating in a Facebook post that “he was instrumental in completing many projects for Lexington County, including the Marc H. Westbrook Judicial Center, the Lexington County Administration Building and the Corley Mill Fire Station. Smokey was also a champion for the Scenic Corridor concept to preserve and enhance the aesthetic appeal of many roads throughout Lexington County.”

"I remember him fondly and he was the epitome of a gracious man," County Council Chair Beth Carrigg told the Chronicle "He loved helping the community and helping those in need. He played a huge role in trajectory of Lexington County. He had the ability to come to table and bring people together who didn't always agree on the development of Lexington County."

Davis moved to Lexington in 1973 with his first wife, Alecia Davis, and delved into the community, giving his heart to a number of organizations and serving on boards. His first wife died in 2008 after fighting cancer, after which he continued serving his community.

He is survived by his wife of 10 years, Donna, and their combined family, which includes kids, grandchildren and a great-grandchild. 

According to the funeral home’s obituary, “Smokey was purposeful in his efforts to see the best in people and serve as a positive mentor and encourager. He had a way of making everyone in his orbit feel known and loved.”

His gold star coins showcased this, with the obituary going on to observe that “his idea of a healthy community was one full of the good that he so purposefully sought to nurture in each individual.”

Jerry Bellune, co-founder of the Lexington County Chronicle, knew Davis for about 40 years. Davis wrote a column for the Lexington Dispatch news, before it merged with the Chronicle, an idea he brought to Bellune because he wanted to bring his business know-how to the community. Bellune said his column, “Signals from Smokey,” “was the beginning of our business page.”

“He was one of the nicest people I knew. I never saw him get angry,” Bellune said. 

While Bellune said he has many memories of Davis, a fun one  is from when Bellune, Davis and a couple of other guys played racquetball at the Lexington Leisure Center. Even though he’s done with the sport, the memories live on.

“I look back on those days as some of the best of my life. It was a little band of four brothers who got up in the middle of the night to play racquetball,” Bellune recalled. 

Bellune and Davis also discussed their time in the military. Even though Davis was a Marine and Bellune served in the Army, Bellune said they “had fun comparing things from military school.”

They also served on the Rotary Club of Lexington, and Bellune said as Davis was stepping down from his term, he painted a bunch of old spark plugs and gave them to the members telling them, “This is to spark you in your life.”

In addition to County Council, Davis also served stints on the Lexington District 1 School Board, the Midlands Technical College Commission, the Lexington County Development Corporation, the Central Midlands Council of Government, the Midlands Workforce Development Corporation, the Central Midlands Development Corporation, and the Lexington Medical Center Board of Directors.

Davis’ faith was also vital to him, as he was active with Saxe Gotha Presbyterian and Northside Baptist Church. He was also a frequent substitute teacher at Northside Christian Academy.