Miles of memories
WAYNESBURG – To say Miles A. Davin Sr. of Waynesburg was a man who wore many hats throughout his lifetime is quite an understatement. The longtime Greene Countian and Messenger columnist tirelessly devoted many of his years working many different jobs and learning a wide array of skills and trades.
But to those who knew and loved him, he was much more than a hard worker who kept himself busy; he was a devoted husband and father, a role model and a man who truly loved Greene County.
Davin passed away early morning on Jan. 31 in the Donnell House in Washington following a long battle with cancer. He was 80 years old.
Born in Collier, Fayette County, in 1927, Davin was raised by his grandmother after losing both of his parents at a very young age.
Growing up, Davin pursued his love of sports in high school, finding his niche on both the track and football teams at Uniontown High School. He emerged as an outstanding halfback in high school, earning awards and accolades for his athleticism.
After graduating from high school, he decided to pursue a career in the military, enlisting in the Navy at the end of World War II. When his stint in the Armed Forces ended, he enrolled in Waynesburg College on a Naval scholarship and eventually received a degree in business.
After college, Davin settled in Waynesburg and started his own contracting business, which he eventually into a family affair years later after adding his sons Keith, Miles Jr. and Jack, forming “Davin and Sons Contracting.”
But Davin did much more than contracting. He tried his hand at a number of different jobs throughout his life, working as a tax consultant, substitute teacher, pilot and little league football coach.
He was also involved with the Waynesburg volunteer fire department, where he served as vice president and fire chief, and he was actively involved with a number of community organizations.
Between working various jobs and being a dedicated and loving husband and parent, Davin also found time to enjoy a wide array of hobbies such as painting, writing and woodcarving.
“He could build a house or paint a picture and everything in between. He loved to sing and dance,” said Ruth Davin, his wife of 57 years. “He had his fingers in a lot of pies. He was a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. He could have made a living at any, but he liked to tinker around.”
In fact, it was Davin’s woodcarving skills that gave him a unique opportunity to help preserve a piece of Greene County history. Over the years, Davin had helped repair the statue of Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene – a commander in the American Revolutionary War and for whom Greene County was named – that sits atop the county courthouse.
In 1998, Davin told county officials that the statue could not be repaired again due to wear and tear and instead it had to be replaced. So he made the replacement statue.
Davin’s love of local history eventually led him to try his hand at writing. He began penning a column for the Herald-Standard and later for the Greene County Messenger titled “All About Greene,” which quickly gained a fan base of local residents who enjoyed his memories of local people, places and events from years past. In all, Davin submitted more than 220 columns to both publications.
Despite all of Davin’s accomplishments, however, it was his devotion to his family that mattered to him the most.
Ruth Davin said her husband was proud of their four grown children – three sons and a daughter, all who live in the county – and seven grandchildren.
“He was proud of his family. His family will be with him to the end,” she said.
One of their three sons, Keith Davin, said his father and many other fathers of his era were wonderful role models for children.
“They were tremendous role models for us. They came of age around World War II. It had a certain effect on all those guys that grew up around World War II. They had that can-do attitude,” he said.
“They had pride and optimism about life. There were so many good role models growing up around that time, my dad was one of them. It makes you remember how lucky we were to have grown up in that time and have wonderful parents.”
Keith Davin said his father coached the Little League East End Wildcats football team for more than 20 years, even after he and his brothers outgrew the league. He said his father stored the equipment in his garage.
Craig Conklin of Waynesburg also played for the Wildcats under Davin’s tutelage.
He remembers when Davin created a trick play he called “The Sleeper,” in which a receiver would pretend to be talking to the coach near the sideline and then run a deep pattern.
“It scored a lot of touchdowns,” Conklin said.
Davin was more than a coach to many of the players on his team, he said.
“He was a great guy. He shaped a lot of young guys’ lives. He taught us more than just football. He was father figure to a lot of us,” Conklin said.
John Lovingood of Holbrook, owner of the Eagle One Aviation flight school at the county airport, said Davin loved aviation and helped him save the airport.
He said the county commissioners were considering selling the airport about 12 years ago. Davin helped him establish the Airmen’s Association, which held “Aviation Days” at the facility. During the weekend-long events, pilots gave free plane rides to 300 to 400 children, and the media exposure helped derail the commissioner’s plans to sell the property, Lovingood said.
“Without guys like Miles Davin, I wouldn’t have been able to save the airport,” he said.
He said Davin taught some of the flight school classes and was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s chapter in the county.
Lovingood said he helped Davin place the Nathanael Greene statue at the courthouse.
“I remember him as a giver to the whole county and aviation in general. He just wanted to help out anyway he could,” Lovingood said.
Eric Rush of Waynesburg, a firefighter with the Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company, said he will always cherish the memories he has of planting memorial flags on the graves of deceased company members with Davin.
“With his passing, we have lost a good man, and on this Memorial Day I will place a flag on his grave,” Rush said.
“He will be greatly missed.”