June 18, 2010 In Rememberance...
Tonight we take this time to honor a fallen member of the Shelbyville/Liberty Lions and friend, Allan Van Dacosta, who joined our maker and keeper on March 20, 2010. Let’s now take a moment of silent to remember and honor Allan before we proceed. Allan was a dedicated Lion in Bermuda and of the Liberty Lions Club and was a Past King Lion of our Club..
Allan was born in Bermuda on February 28, 1945 to Manuel and Stella DaCosta, and was the youngest of six brothers. His father was a farmer and as a young boy soon learned many chores, such as delivering milk, picking up leftover food from the hotels to feed their pigs, and he also enjoyed raising small animals of his own. He was a member of the Boys’ Brigade which the British version of the American boy Scouts, and when older he served in the Bermuda Regiment similar to the Nation Guard here.
In 1965 he married his wife, Dolores with whom he spent 44 years with, and in 1975 his daughter Amanda was born. Allan was a man of many talents, working as many as three jobs at times. He started while in school as a shoe salesman after school & weekends, after high school he went to work on the docks checking cargo on the many ships that brought supplies to Bermuda, Bermuda is a small island about 21 miles long and 2 miles wide and 700 miles off the South Carolina coast, part of the Famous Bermuda Triangle. He also worked in various grocery stores as a produce manager and then store manager; he drove a taxi as well as a water truck and managed a famous Bermuda restaurant. He opened his own donut shop in 1981 which was the only one at that time. In 1994 he sold his donut shop and moved to Shelbyville and soon fell in love with the area and the people of Shelbyville. He brought his first farm on Snell Road, but soon got bored with little work to do in the winter, even though he was suppose to be retired he looked for other work, first filling in as a substitute bus driver for a sick friend and then became a full time bus driver. He had always wanted to be a truck driver so he went to the Tech school to learn how to handle a semi-truck and got his CDL and went on the road in 1996, he found he didn’t like being away home & Family so he took a part-time job at the Co-op delivering fertilizer and later became a full-time fuel delivery driver for the Coop. It was a job he loved, as he had a chance to meet many of the farmers in area and pick their brains about farming in Bedford County. He did raise some cattle and enjoyed making hay.
He loved his grand-daughter, Savannah, and while she was still quite small, he’d take her for rides on the tractor which often times she would fall asleep in his arms. When Savannah reached ten he taught he to drive the farm pickup that he used for moving hay out of the fields, there no doubt of his love for his grand-daughter. He loved many sports and of course, being from Bermuda he loved Soccer, he was a golfer, enjoyed boating, driving race ponies and horseback riding. He went to three Triple Crown races because he loved to watch the horses run. Allan was a generous man, whether it was time, money or his opinion, often which he was quite vocal with.
As many of you know Allan & Delores ran the Coffee Break on the square for several years and on many Thursdays, Allan got up by 4AM to bake many goodies that he often gave away to his family and friends; he got great pleasure in seeing them enjoy the goodies he made.
He was a member of the Evangelical Church of Bermuda, and attended both the First Baptist Church of Shelbyville and the Pleasant Grove United Methodist. He was grateful to the friendships from the members and the many cards he received before leaving us.
We’ll all miss you Allan, and may God continue to bless and keep you until the rest of us join you.
His wife, Dolores is unable to be with us tonight as she flies to Canada to be with her mother who is ill, but fellow lion and brothers, Joe & David DaCosta will receive the honors for her.
March 20, 2010
Mr. Allan Van DaCosta, age 65, of Shelbyville died Saturday, March 20, 2010 at Alive Hospice in Nashville,
Tennessee.
Funeral services were at 6 pm Thursday, March 25, 2010, at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel. Pastor Ted Cowen and Reverend Jim Sorrells officiated. Per his request, following the service his remains were cremated Visitation will be 4-6 PM Thursday at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel.
He was born February 28, 1945, in Paget, Bermuda, to the late Manuel and Stella Santos DaCosta. Before his retirement, he was a fuel truck driver with Bedford Farmers Co-op and former Owner of the Coffee Break, a Shelbyville landmark on the Shelbyville Square. He attended the Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Dolores Medeiros DaCosta, a daughter, Amanda DaCosta and granddaughter, Savannah DaCosta, all of Shelbyville; four brothers, Joseph DaCosta, and his wife Barbara, and David DaCosta, both of Shelbyville, and Joel DaCosta, and his wife Anna, and Manuel DaCosta, all of Pennsylvania; a sister-in-law, Jane Marshall and her husband, Joe, a brother-in-law, Art Madieros, and his wife, Elaine, and his mother-in-law, Mary Madieros, all of Canada. Also left to mourn his passing are also special family, Joan and Fred Pimentel and William Madieros, all of Shelbyville, and many nieces nephews, and friends in Shelbyville, and all over the World.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society "Relay For Life" c/o Martha Deason, 1029 Union St., Shelbyville, TN 37160.
Feldhaus Memorial Chapel is assisting the family with the arrangements
In Remembrance of Joe W. Davidson
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Joe Winford Davidson, 85, of Pleasant Grove, died Tuesday at Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro after a short illness.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Doak-Howell Funeral Home with Jeff Smith officiating. Burial followed at Willow Mount Cemetery.
Visitation was held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
A loyal member of the Liberty Lions Club of Shelbyville,TN rarely missed a meeting of the Lions and always had a handshake and a warm welcome to all. One of the best remembered stories by Joe is, “The Turkey Hunt,” ask Brent if you haven’t heard it.
Below is Joe & Mary Evelyn enjoying Liberty Lions' 9th Walking Horse Show
Joe Winford Davidson.
AGE 85
DATE OF BIRTH February 13, 1924
DATE OF DEATH :March 10, 2009
TIME & PLACE OF SERVICE Doak-Howell Funeral Chapel.
2:00 p.m., Thursday, March. 12, 2009
OFFICIATING Brother Jeff Smith
BURIAL Willow: Mount Cemetery
Order of Service
Officiating; Jeff Smith, Southside Church of Christ
Opening Prayer and Scripture; Jim Sorrells,
Pleasant Grove Methodist Church
Tribute by Grandchildren
Eulogy by Jeff Smith
Pallbearers; Joey Davidson, Robbie Davidson,
Jamie Davidson, William Davidson, Hunter Hanger and Michael Johns