Dr. Lloyd Edward Davis

Lloyd E. Davis, 92, of Urbana passed away Saturday, September 4, 2021, at Carle Hospital. The son of Roger Q. Davis, MD and Myrtle Burke Davis, Lloyd was born on August 23, 1929, in Akron, Ohio.  He grew up in the Akron area. His was a medical family: Besides his father, his grandfather, his great uncle, an uncle, and a brother were physicians.  He had two brothers – Roger Burke Davis in 1926 and William M. Davis, MD in 2006.  After high school he attended the University of Akron where he became an active member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Lloyd served in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Naval Reserve from 1948 to 1953. Lloyd married his first wife, Thelma L. Brunty in 1953. He had a son, Mark and a daughter, Kimberly from this marriage. The couple divorced in 1972. He married Carol A. Neff of Columbus, Ohio on September 24, 1972, and they enjoyed almost 49 years of a loving and devoted partnership. Lloyd is survived by his wife, Carol, his daughter; Kimberly A. Davis of Norton, Ohio; and his grandson, Samuel L. Davis of Streetsboro, Ohio.  He is survived by many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephews, and nieces on Carol’s side of the family.  They will all miss him terribly. After leaving the Navy he returned to Ohio where he attended Veterinary School at The Ohio State University (DVM, 1959) and then earned the Ph.D. degree (Physiology and Pharmacology) from the School of Medicine, University of Missouri at Columbia in 1963. Dr. Davis served as a member of the faculties of the School of Veterinary Medicine and the School of Medicine at the University of Columbia, 1959 -1969; Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at The Ohio State University, 1969-1972; Visiting Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, 1972-1974; Professor of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology at Colorado State University, 1974-1978; Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Illinois, 1978-1994. He was then Professor Emeritus until his death. Dr. Davis’ research interests were in species differences in disposition and fate of drugs in the animals and in regional blood flow. Lloyd was a member of several professional and scientific societies. He was Founding Fellow and the first President of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He was instrumental in the development of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology as a specialty of veterinary medicine and the establishment of the certifying boards. He was a Charter Diplomat and a Past-Chairman of the Board of the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. During his career he was honored by election to Sigma Xi, Phi Zeta and Gamma Sigma Delta honorary societies. He was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award, the 1990 Equine Research Award for “Excellence in Clinical Pharmacology”, and he was named a William N. Creasy Visiting Professor in Clinical Pharmacology – an award sponsored by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Lloyd was the first veterinarian to be selected for this prestigious award.  In 1988, the AAVPT established the Lloyd E. Davis Award and Lectureship to recognize individual excellence over a career in Veterinary Pharmacology. He was honored at the University of Illinois in 2008 as being one of 17 notable faculty members by being featured on an orange and blue banner flying in campus-town. Lloyd served as a member of the editorial boards of The American Journal of Veterinary Research and the Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He was editor of Topics in Drug Therapy for The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. He served on several committees of The United States Pharmacopeia and was Chairman of The Advisory Panel on Veterinary Medicine of the USP. Locally, he served as a member of The UIUC Faculty Senate for several years and chaired several of its committees. After retiring from the University in 1994, Lloyd continued to enjoy woodworking in which he engaged primarily in building furniture for he and Carol and their friends. He was a talented craftsman who loved working with wood. He loved the planning, layout, cutting and the final construction of a new piece of furniture. It was truly amazing what he could do with a piece of mahogany or walnut. His also collected and enjoyed shooting firearms together with Carol. On Saturday, September 25, 2021, we invite his friends, colleagues, and loved ones to join his family to celebrate Lloyd’s life. We will gather at the I Hotel and Conference Center (QUAD Room), 1900 South First Street, Champaign IL 61801, from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Beverages and light hors D'oeuvres will be served. We’ll share our favorite stories and memories of Lloyd at 2:30. In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions can be made to the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics or the Veterinary Pharmacology Research Foundation (AAVPT.org).  Donations can be made to either organization. 

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