On October 4, 2020, Skip and Susan Davis quietly celebrated their 50th year of marriage. COVID-19 made it impossible for them to celebrate with family and friends.
“In fact, we haven’t seen our children, Stefanie and Scott, since May 14. That day, I buried my 98-year-old mother. Still, it’s good our phones work on a daily basis,” Skip said.
Stefanie is a teacher at Perry Meridian High School, and Scott is a director at WISH TV, both in Indianapolis. Stefanie is teaching dual-credit courses for Vincennes University, and Scott recently won an Emmy Award.
“To celebrate our golden anniversary, Susan and I decided to send a $50 check each month to a different non-profit organization. They include: NAFB Foundation; Salvation Army; Shop With a Cop; Sleep in Heavenly Peace; Oak Hill High School Education Foundation; Frankfort High School Education Foundation; Creutzfield-Jakob Disease Foundation; Red Barn Summer Theater; Frankfort Cheerleaders; Private Family Donation; Clinton County Boys and Girls Club; and Coach Kids.
“I met Susan, the love of my life, in her uncle’s TV repair shop in Frankfort, Indiana, one Saturday morning. I was checking on the progress of repairing my TV. Instead, I checked her out for the rest of our lives. Susan would tell you she thought I was ‘old.’
“I began my career in television as an engineer, schooled at Central Technical Institute in Kansas City, Missouri. It was in Indianapolis at the WFBM stations where I met and worked with Harry Martin. That connection helped me frame my future radio career. After a 45-year broadcast career, I retired from the WASK stations in Lafayette, Indiana, in 2008.
“Since then, I spent two years on the Clinton County Fair Council. That was long enough to realize I was too old for that kind of hard work. However, I choose to continue supporting the fair utilizing my talents. The Clinton County Fair continued this year on a limited basis. I was asked to supervise the installation of additional PA speakers in the parking area surrounding the livestock barns. The new layout was designed to keep exhibitors informed about the progress of the classes as they waited from their livestock holding spaces.
“Everything the Clinton County Fair Council did worked so well that when neighboring Boone County 4-H was told there would be no fair this year in Boone County, they brought their livestock to Clinton County and held an open show for their 4-H members only.
“I have found a deep history behind our county fair, first held in 1853. The oldest building on the grounds is more than 120 years old. It is my dream to turn it into a local landmark and use it as a museum.
“The contacts I made through NAFB continue to be important to me, especially the five years I wrote for the NAFB News Service. That activity taught me to write better stories. I continue editing my church’s weekly Sunday morning service posting it on the church web page and YouTube. This has been a key to the success of our church this year,” Skip added.
Because of COVID-19, Susan has had to step back from a lot of the activities she has enjoyed. She has spent several years keeping the scoring book for her high-school volleyball team and keeping the scoreboard for her school’s basketball teams. Also, she has worked election polls and served as a volunteer tax preparer for AARP. COVID-19 has curtailed these activities. Davis describes his 50-year partner as “a people person.”
“Best wishes to all of you as I pray we get out of this COVID-19 pandemic ASAP,” Skip concluded.
Skip Davis is an Emeritus Member of NAFB.
