Memorial Mass for George Francis Newberry-Davis will be at 12:00 p.m. Friday, June 9, 2023 at Holy Family Catholic Church with Rev. Philip Seeton, Pastor officiating.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9, 2023 at Melrose on May Event Center (11205 N. May Ave., Suite B) in Oklahoma City.

Local arrangements are under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

The Memorial Mass may be viewed by following the livestream link at www.beckerfuneral.com or by visiting the Becker-Rabon Funeral Home Facebook page.

George Francis Newberry-Davis (64) of Lawton, Oklahoma, passed away in his home on Monday, May 22, 2023.  George was born to Donald Edward Davis, DDS, and Norma Berniece (nee Hartrick) Davis of Wilmington, Delaware, on December 27, 1958. He was the second son of five children, including older brother Paul and younger siblings Carol, Mark, and John.

George spent his entire childhood in Wilmington, and his family enjoyed annual vacations on the beach in Cape May, New Jersey. When George entered high school, he played football and wrestled for Mount Pleasant High School, where he graduated in 1976.  During high school, George worked at the M & M Bakery in Wilmington, where he discovered the first passion of his life, the culinary arts. He attended the Culinary Institute of America, where he interned for the early television chef, Chef Tell. He graduated in 1980 and began a career as a chef that would take him across America. He worked in fine dining kitchens in Atlantic City, Margate, and New Orleans, acquiring a taste for exotic ingredients and inventive food preparation.

George then settled in Dallas, Texas, where he worked as the Banquet Chef at the Hotel Crescent Court. It was there that he met his wife Jan Newberry, who worked in the hotel as the Payroll Master. George and Jan were married in 1990. They welcomed their daughter, Emma, in 1991, and their son, Andrew, in 1994. Even though he worked long hours as those in the hospitality business do, he always made time to attend his daughter's dance performances or cheer on the sidelines of his son's soccer games.

The family relocated to Lawton, Oklahoma, in 2002, where George would spend the rest of his life. George was a devout Catholic, attending services at Holy Family Catholic Church. He especially enjoyed the Byzantine Rites the church provided. Beyond his faith, he also looked for opportunities for himself, eventually graduating with a BS in Accounting from Cameron University.

Ultimately George's greatest passion and joy were his children. He was quick to offer them gentle encouragement, a genuine interest in their pursuits, and a series of dad jokes to give them a good laugh. He enjoyed sharing his interests like live wrestling and the band, The Who, with his children, and it thrilled him when they took him to a concert by The Who in 2013. He watched with great pride as they achieved academic and professional success. Though George was a humble, quiet man, he made sure his children knew how he felt about them.

George is survived by his wife, Jan Newberry-Davis; daughter, Emma Newberry-Davis and her partner James Bare, of Oklahoma City; son, Andrew Newberry-Davis and his partner, Tara Evans, of Norman; sister, Carol Mulford, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and brother, Mark and his partner, Ken McMullen, of Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Norma; brothers, Paul and John; and brother-in-law, Len Mulford.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made to World Neighbors  at www.wn.org or by mail to 5600 N. May Ave., Suite 160, Oklahoma City, OK 73112-4222 in honor of George's memory.