Mary Elizabeth Vaughan Davis

Chesterfield, SC

Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Vaughan Davis, beloved wife of James Laylon "PeeWee" Davis Sr., age 97, entered into rest on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, at Springhill Assisted Living surrounded by her loving family. Mary Elizabeth lived her life to the fullest until health issues in her early 90s slowed her down.

Services will be held at Zoar Methodist Church, where she was the oldest living member, at 4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, by Pastor Billy Jack Johnson, the Honorable Rep. Pastor Richie Yow and Brent Taylor, with special music for her Granny by Karla. Burial will follow in the Davis Family Cemetery, located within the Zoar Cemetery.

The family will greet friends from 3 to 4 p.m. prior to the service in the Zoar sanctuary and Friday from 4 to 8 pm, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 12 noon to 8 p.m. at the Davis family home, 3943 Highway 145 North, Chesterfield.

Mary Elizabeth was born in High Point, NC, the only child of Carnol Bunion Vaughan and Nell Threadgill Vaughan. She was a graduate of High Point Central High School and earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in mathematics and social science from High Point College (now University). She was an honor student, graduating magna cum laude. While at HPU, she was a student government representative, a reporter for the Hi-Po newspaper, a member of Alpha Theta Psi sorority, and was an assistant in the history department. She was the day student union president and was named to “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.”

Mary Elizabeth married the love of her life, James Laylon “PeeWee” Davis Sr., on March 24, 1951, and moved from the city to the Snow Hill community in rural Chesterfield County. They shared 72 years and 43 days together until his death May 6, 2023.

Professionally, Mary Elizabeth was a mathematics educator, teaching all areas of math from general to advanced algebra III, geometry, calculus and trigonometry. She first taught at Reidsville High School. Following marriage, she taught math, history, English and other subjects as needed at Deep Creek High School. She taught a year of math at Wadesboro HS, then found her home at Ruby HS, where she taught math, chaired the annual Halloween Carnival and sponsored the Beta Club. When Ruby consolidated with Chesterfield and Gary high schools, she moved to Chesterfield Junior High, followed by Chesterfield HS, from which she retired. In addition to the textbooks, she taught her student's the importance of managing their money, how to balance a checkbook and how to plan a household budget.

Mary Elizabeth was very involved in the community. She was an active member of Zoar Methodist Church, where she taught the Adult Sunday School Class No. 9 for more than 60 years, sang in the choir, taught Bible School, was the building fund treasurer and served as United Methodist Women president for several terms.

Mary Elizabeth Was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout den mother and home room mother for many years. She served on the CHESCO Board for 25 years. She worked with the census and was a founding member and coordinator of the Chesterfield Ladies Investment Club. She was a Red Cross volunteer, and after Hurricane Hugo, she served as a Red Cross disaster volunteer in Chesterfield County helping residents fill out their claims.

Mary Elizabeth was an excellent cook, a gifted seamstress and an accomplished artist specializing in oils. She was very proud when the Chesterfield Arts Alliance held a showing of her paintings.

After God, her family was her greatest joy. Mary and PeeWee spent their summers traveling with their children to all corners of the USA, and she may have read every historical marker east of the Mississippi! She encouraged her children and grandchildren always to do their best, give back to the community, mind their manners, make their beds every morning and use the correct silverware. From their births, she read to them and later. played math games and history trivia with them. She believed reading could unlock doors to the future and every home needed to be filled with books, magazines and newspapers. She read her daily newspaper from cover to cover and encouraged her children to read the paper. She was the inspiration behind The Link newspaper in 2007.

Mary Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, listed above; her husband; brothers and sister-in-law, William R. “Bill” Davis; Willis F. “Bill” and Peggy Robeson; and nephew, John McPherron Davis. She is survived by her daughter, Jane Elizabeth Davis Pigg and her husband, Farris, of Cheraw; sons James Laylon “Jim” Davis Jr. and his wife, Lisa Gaddy Davis of Monroe; George Jeffrey “Jeff” Davis and his wife, Bonnie Lewis Davis, of Chesterfield; and Jonathan Vaughan Davis and his wife, Connie Carpenter Davis, of Chesterfield; grandchildren, Krysta Anne Davis Cearley and her husband, Russ, of Charlotte, NC; Karla Elizabeth Davis Johnson and her husband, Taylor, of Greensboro NC; Lauren Catherine Davis Parker and her husband, Matt, of Kingsport, TN; Lindsay Elizabeth Davis Hatcher and her husband, Lt. Collin Hatcher, of Tyndall AFB, Panama City, FL,; Jeffrey Laylon Davis and his wife, Taylor, of Millersville, MD; Sarah Lynn Davis Howle and her husband, Philip, of Hartsville; Britt Pigg and his wife, Caleigh, of Rock Hill; Brad Pigg and his wife, Jessie, of Pageland; great-grandchildren Greyson and Reagan Elizabeth Cearley; Charlie Elizabeth and Harper James Johnson; Sawyer Elizabeth and Davis Lindsey and Alice Elizabeth Hatcher; Ellington Graham “Ellie” Byrd, Charles Laylon Parker; Everette Hatcher, Banks and Ellison Howle, Katelyn Pigg and her fiancé, Curt Chapman; Kenzie, Kolton and Taftt Pigg; sister-in-law, Susanne McPherron Davis; nephews, Billy Davis and wife Betty Ann of Ruby, Henry Davis of Chesterfield, Bob Robeson and wife Karen, of Chesterfield; nieces, Denise Gulledge and husband David of Chesterfield, Dr. Margaret Davis of Chesnee; great-niece Dr. Melanie Davis Gurkin and husband Zack of Grantsboro, NC; great-nephew Conner Robeson of Chesterfield; and Baby Gurkin coming in November.

The family expresses its sincere love and appreciation to the Zoar Church family; special caregivers Nora Richardson and Michelle Rollins; Chaplain Hank Fields and the wonderful Gentiva Palliative Care team; Adrena Dundy and the awesome staff of Springhill Assisted Living; Pastor Dan Sullivan, who was her Springhill pastor; and to Brent and Brooke Taylor and their awesome staff at Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home for the love and compassion given to our precious Mama.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Springhill Assisted Living, 514 S. Gum St., Pageland, SC 29728; Hospice of Chesterfield County Foundation, P.O. Box 293, Chesterfield, SC 29709; or Zoar Methodist Church, c/o Debbie Foote, 22472 Zoar Road, Cheraw, SC 29520.

Miller-Rivers-Caulder Funeral Home of Chesterfield, SC is serving the Davis family.

For more information, please visit www.mrcfuneralhome.com