Stephen Lee Davis
Knoxville News Sentinel
January 25, 2017
New York, NY
Stephen Lee Davis died of natural causes on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 in New York City. He was 61. Preceded in death by his father, Don L. Davis. Steve is survived by his wife, Elizabeth "Buffy" Barton; their sons, August Davis (13) and Harper Davis (10); his mother, Joann Myers; his sister, Donna Ierulli (David); and his brother, Mike Davis (Chanda). He was loved by many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Steve was born in Maryville, TN and was a popular student at Maryville High School where he began his lifelong love of music, playing guitar, and jamming with his friends. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he pursued his other enduring passion by majoring in Theater. While in college, Steve appeared in numerous productions at the Clarence Brown Theater and toured with the legendary English actor Anthony Quayle in Macbeth. After graduation, Steve worked for Delta Airlines. He was married to Donna Higgins McGill from 1980 to 1986. Steve had many adventures on stage and film with fellow actor David Keith, his friend since childhood, including a role in the 1988 movie Heartbreak Hotel. In 1985, Steve (who was known by friends and colleagues as "Dawg") moved to New York, the city he loved, where he began a career as an assistant director and director in the film and television industries. A proud member of the Directors Guild of America, his many film credits include Marley & Me, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games, The Hours, Mrs. Doubtfire and most recently, Collateral Beauty. He worked extensively on television shows such as "Sex and the City,""Ed," and "30 Rock," where he also directed several episodes.
Those who worked with Steve on TV and movie sets always said he was "the best." As his good friend Mike Pitt put it, "Steve treated people like they should have been treated." It was on the set of the movie Serendipity that Steve met his wife Buffy. They were married on August 12, 2002 and had two beautiful boys. They loved their friends, their cat June, their Dog Coal, and their church First Presbyterian where during the Christmas season Steve was the best Santa the Tartan Fair could have wished for. None of those who knew "Dawg," will be the same without the big, kind, strong, loving man who was Stephen Lee Davis. As a wise man says in The Wizard of Oz, "A heart is not judged by how much you love but by how much you are loved by others." By that measure, or any other, Steve Davis had a very good and very large heart.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Little River Watershed Association, littleriverwatershed.org. Memorial service will be held 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 27, 2017 at Miller Funeral Home Magnolia Chapel. A celebration of life will follow at Green Meadow Country Club (1700 Louisville Road, Alcoa, TN 37701) Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Friday at Miller Funeral Home, Maryville, (865) 982-6041, www.millerfuneralhome.org
DAVIS, Stephen Lee
Born: 1935, Maryville, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Died: 1/18/2017, New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Stephen Lee Davis’ westerns – assistant director:
The Cowboy Way – 1994
American Outlaws - 2001