Davis’ s passing marked“ the end of an era,” said Lori Campbell Baker, Executive Director of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.“ Bob’ s presence within the tourism industry and his work on behalf of our local schools will be truly missed. He was passionate, vocal and unstoppable. Truly an inspiration in so many ways.”
“ The tourism industry has lost one of our biggest supporters,” said Georgia Turner, Executive Director of the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority.“ Bob was the first person who contacted me when I was voted in by the West Volusia tourism board – before they even called me to offer me the job. He was always in the know.” For Davis, born and raised in Brooklyn, the lure of the hospitality industry came early. A video on the Lodging & Hospitality Association’ s website includes old black-and-white photos of Davis sporting a bowtie, tux and pencil-thin mustache, and pictured alongside New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Robert F. Kennedy and comedian Nipsy Russell. The video’ s text says Davis“ started his hospitality career at age 12 in New York’ s Catskills Mountains.”
Davis began as a busboy in the Borscht Belt, that resort area in the Catskills north of New York City where, according to the Borscht Belt Museum,“ urban dwellers, many of them Jews, migrated en masse each summer... seeking escape from the pestilence and sweltering tenements of the city, but also from rampant antisemitism that barred Jews from most hotels.” The area featured“ a vibrant nightlife that drew the nation’ s top entertainers – and a parade of sports figures, political leaders and civil rights activists.”
Davis worked his way up and became a social director, a dance instructor for guests, then a maitre d’ and eventually general manager of a major Catskills hotel.
In 1966, Davis, his wife and two daughters moved to Daytona Beach, where he had landed a job as manager of the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona Beach Shores, a position he held for 23 years. Davis then took a job with area hotelier Tom Staed, serving as vice president of his hotel
Daytona Spring Break Psychedelic Freak-out holdings and as general manager of the Treasure Island Inn for a number of years.
Davis was known for his advocacy of education and
program for Volusia County Schools,
his work with area charity and community organizations such as the Volusia Literacy Council, the United Way and others. In 2017 he founded the Adopt-A-School
He mentored students in the hospitality programs at Daytona State College and Bethune-Cookman University, and in 2024 Daytona State established the Bob Davis Culinary and Hospitality Endowed Scholarship.
Davis loved the New York Mets, ballroom dancing and sharing YouTube clips of his favorite Borsch Beltbred comedians. He recognized his gift of gab by referring to himself as the“ Mouth of the South.”
His obit states:“ Bob would like to be remembered as‘ Mr. Volusia County’ and‘ The Mouth of the South’ for his love of the community and the hospitality industry he worked in.”
Bob Davis, Lori Campbell Baker, John Betros and Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald. Photo by Georgia Turner
Rick de Yampert is a freelance writer living in Palm Coast, Florida. Previously he was a writer for 30 years at daily newspapers in Florida, Tennessee and Alabama.
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