Judy Davis Vancanneyt

Judy Davis VanCanneyt, 62, died on Friday, November 14, 2014, at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital in Florence, Alabama, just one week before her 63rd birthday. She was born in Bruce, MS on November 21, 1951 to Thelma York Davis and James “Buddy” Davis. She was married to Clifford Raymond VanCanneyt in Whitehaven, MS on August 5, 1967. This past August they celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary.

Judy always loved animals and nature. She had numerous pets throughout her life, and even had a pet raccoon as a child. She always had compassion for animals in need. She even helped her daughters raise two orphaned baby squirrels. In her younger days, she loved to ride horses and hunt squirrels and raccoons. She inherited a love of horses and hunting from her father. Her true passion for most of her life was fishing. She had a stamina for fishing like no other person in history. She would fish rain or shine. In her later years she even competed in fishing tournaments such as the Women’s Bassmaster Tournament. Her love of fishing was always shared by her husband Cliff, but also by her father and her Aunt Frances. Judy was voracious reader. She always had a book with her to read. Judy loved to watch plants grow and always enjoyed having a wide variety of houseplants. In earlier years, she greatly loved gardening and growing flowers. Judy was a music lover and enjoyed everything from Bluegrass to Rock to Classical.

Other hobbies she enjoyed were painting, quilting, and crochet. She was a member of Oakland Baptist Church in Oakland, Mississippi for many years.

Judy was preceded in death by her little brother Randy Dale Davis on July 20th, 2012. She leaves behind: her husband Cliff VanCanneyt of Lexington, Alabama, her daughters and son-in-laws: Stacy VanCanneyt Ferris and Daniel Ferris of Providence, Utah, and Jamie Ann Simper and Lewis Simper of Charleston, South Carolina. She also leaves behind her mother and father, Thelma Davis and James “Buddy” Davis of Oakland, Mississippi and her sister Nylene Davis Riley of Huntington, Tennessee. She also leaves behind her nieces and nephew: Audra Hines, April Riley, Will Riley, and Brittney and Brooke VanCanneyt.

The family will receive friends from 12pm to 2pm on Thursday, November 19, 2014 at Parker Memorial Funeral Home in Bruce, MS, and the funeral service will begin at 2pm. Burial will follow in the Bruce cemetery in Bruce, MS.