Obituary of Annie Bell Davis

Sometimes, the things we perceive in life are not as bad as they seem; they can turn out to be blessings. Annie Davis was blessed by God with Alzheimer's and Dementia. After fighting a good fight and keeping her faith, God decided to ease her struggles and bring her home on July 3, 2024, so she could rest. Annie Bell (Brinson) Davis was born on March 16, 1941, in Beautancus, North Carolina, to the late John Robert Brinson Sr. and the late Clyde Ruth Brinson. Known to her family and close friends as "Bell," she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior early in life. She was raised in the South, in an unsegregated era of time and attended and graduated from an all-black elementary, middle and high school. As the oldest of four siblings, Bell always looked out for her brothers; family was paramount to all four of them. Kenneth, Willie, and Bud (John) were protective of their only sister. Bell found love and married the late James Louis Davis. Unfortunately, God called James home soon after they were married. Shortly after, Bell moved north, first to New York and eventually settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, she met her second husband, the late Lonnie Ray Davis. Shortly after marrying Lonnie, they acquired their home on Wayne Avenue. To this union, she had two sons, the late Timothy Ray Davis and Daryl O'Neil Davis. As a young mom and wife, Bell worked as a seamstress at Botany 500, and later she became a School Bus Chauffeur for the Philadelphia School District. Later, she found comfort with her common law husband, the late Addie Joseph Brice, with whom she had one son, Jesse Cornelius Brice. Bell raised her sons, generously giving them more than she could afford to help them become good men. As Bell grew older, she continued to seek love and married the late Andre Williams Sr., finding companionship until God called him home as well. Bell enjoyed feeding anyone that came to visit her and could often be found in the kitchen. Her joyous greeting, "How you do?," would be followed by an offer of some baked goods she made from scratch. Whether it was perfectly fried fish or a moist pound cake, her cooking skills were undeniable. After the passing of her son Timothy, her sons Daryl and Jesse became concerned about her increasing confusion and forgetfulness. Reciprocating the love their mother had always shown them, they decided to move her to Delaware, to be cared for by Daryl. It was in 2019 that she was officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Dementia. Every day, she asked to see her children and brothers. Bell often worried that the things she had worked all her life for were being neglected while she lived with her son. Her ailment kept her from understanding that her son was taking care of everything. Despite her illnesses, she always asked about her sons and the people close to her, such as her brothers John and Willie, or Teresa (niece), Tiyana (granddaughter), and her best friend Marcie. For those that wonder, "How could her illnesses be a blessing?" The answer is simple: she forgot about the things that hurt her and the people she didn't like. Her illnesses never robbed her of remembering the people who meant the most to her, and she was surrounded by family and friends who loved her as much as she loved them. Though not all family and friends are mentioned here, she loved you too. Annie Bell Davis was preceded in death by her mother, Clyde Ruth Brinson, and father, John Robert Brinson Sr.; her brothers, Kenneth Lee Brinson and Willie Lee Brinson; her husbands, James Davis, Lonnie Davis, and Andre Williams, common law husband, Addie Brice; and her son Timothy Ray Davis. She leaves to cherish her memory, her brother John R. Brinson Jr. (Mattie Jean). She leaves to carry on her legacy her sons, Daryl Davis (Lena), and Jesse Brice (Akera); thirteen grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. Her memory rests with a host of many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Our mother loved each and every one of her offspring unconditionally. There was nothing she would not do or sacrifice for all of them.