Charles William (Bill) Davis

Charles William (Bill) Davis died peacefully on September 1, 2022.

Bill was born on September 18, 1942.  He grew up in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, the eldest of three brothers. He attended Robert E Lee High School and graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Chemical Engineering.  On the boardwalk of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware, in August, 1965, he met Barbara Rogers and married her on December 11, 1965. The young couple had two children, Gregg and Heather.

The family moved to Rock Hill, SC, in 1976. Shortly afterwards, Bill opened his own business, Separation Technology, Inc, designing and building equipment to treat industrial wastewater using reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration.

In the community, Bill was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church, singing in the choir, helping with Boy Scouts and the Lutheran campus ministry. He also enjoyed performing with the Rock Hill Community Theatre, playing roles in Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, and My Fair Lady.

As his community theatre days came to a close, Bill found a new role that would last for the rest of days: Santa Claus. His first Santa appearance was at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Winthrop University. His Santa appearances expanded over the years to include elementary schools, department stores, Christmas parties, and community events. Preparation for Santa began in the summer when he stopped trimming his gray beard to ensure proper Santa length by December.

Bill was preceded in death by this mother, Merrily Stallings, and father, William Davis. He is survived by his brothers, Ed Davis and Don Davis; his wife of 56 years, Barbara Davis; his son Gregg Davis and daughter-in-law Ines Silva; his daughter Heather Litzinger and son-in-law Sean Litzinger. He has two grandsons, Cameron Litzinger (age 12) and Zachary Litzinger (age 10).

Bill’s Celebration of Life will be on Wednesday, September 7, at 11 am at Grace Lutheran Church, 426 Oakland Avenue, Rock Hill, SC.

Memorial donations may be made to Grace Lutheran Church , Kindred Hospice , or Toys For Happiness to provide Christmas gifts for children in need in York County.