Briant LeRoy Davis Jr's Obituary
Briant LeRoy Davis Jr. was born on February 10, 1964 in Rapid City, South Dakota and died at the age of 51 on Wednesday, July 29, 2015 in Orem, Utah. He was the son of Briant LeRoy Davis Sr. of Rapid City, SD and Dixie Lee Powell Davis of Orem, UT. A gentle loving soul, he loved music and before kindergarten could identify many classical music phrases, the title of the music, the orchestra and the conductor’s name. He also loved to watch his many favorite movies and TV programs.
Born with birth defects and learning disabilities, he was placed in Rapid City’s first Special Education class. In fourth grade he was reading at a seventh grade level. In the seventh grade he tested at an 11th grade level. He attended Provo High School in Provo, Utah for a year and then attended Central High School in Rapid City for a short time. He was diagnosed at age 16 as being Schizophrenic. Briant became a part of the Black Hills Workshop and Training Center in 1981 and loved working in the Recycling Center. He volunteered at the San Fernando Valley LDS Bishop’s Storehouse and at a Thrift Shop while he and his mother lived in Southern California one winter.
In September 2000, Briant and his mother moved to Orem, Utah. He again worked at the local Bishop’s Storehouse for a short while. Then he was part of Provo School District’s ATEC program. Over medicated, he was diagnosed with Parkinsonism. This impaired his motor skills, speech, writing, as well as many other functions. He then became a part of TURN – an activity center for the handicapped where he has been treated well and has many friends. Three months ago his medication was cut back and with a health aid group he began to walk and talk better and his many other problems with Parkinsonism began to improve or go away. Unfortunately, he began having symptoms of Esophageal dysphagia and died of pneumonia complications. “To know him was to love him.”
Briant is survived by his father and mother, his sisters Julia Davis Allen Audretch of Nashville, TN; Jennifer Davis Lerud of Saratoga Springs, UT; L. Jeffrey Davis of St. George, UT plus many nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. We will all miss him and his sweet personality in spite of all his struggles and many problems. The family also wishes to thank the many who helped him along the way through his life, especially Gayle G. You should rightly be called angels.
Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at the Sharon Park First Ward Chapel, 310 North 100 East, Orem UT with a viewing prior to services from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Interment at the Orem City Cemetery.
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