Ferrell Hollis Davenport, Sr.

Published 7:43 am Monday, December 23, 2019

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Ferrell Hollis Davenport, Sr., 79 of Lehigh Acres, FL,  formerly of Columbia, SC and Cordele, GA, passed away December 20, 2019  Lehigh Acres. Funeral services will be held Friday, December 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Rainey Family Funeral Services. Burial will follow in Evergreen Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends prior to the service Friday beginning at 12:30 p.m. Born in Vidalia, GA, Ferrell was the youngest son of three children of the late Edna Maddox McDowell and Joel Hollis Davenport of Columbus, GA. He married Brenda Allen, his loving wife of 58 wonderful years and they raised their four children in Cordele.

Ferrell attended South Georgia College in Douglas, Ga where he majored in business. He was an active and faithful deacon of First Baptist Church in Cordele for many years. Ferrell was in the insurance business and owned and operated an agency in Cordele. He sold his agency in 1979 and moved his family to Montgomery, AL and later to Columbia, SC where he worked as the State Manager of Georgia Life and Health Insurance Company and they lived there until 2008.

Ferrell was active in his community in Cordele, being an Outstanding Jaycee, serving as President of the Cordele Lions Club where they received the honor of being the Number one Lions Club in the state of Georgia, along with the Number 1 Scrap Book.  He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and also served on the board of directors for the American Cancer Society. Ferrell was very civic minded, loved his community and loved serving other people. He coached little league baseball for 10+ years.  He was most passionate about his church and his Lord, that being his main priority in life. He was so humbled and honored to serve as a deacon of First Baptist Church as well his church in South Carolina.

Ferrell was a loving husband, father, granddaddy and great-granddaddy. Survivors include his wife, Brenda Allen Davenport of Lehigh Acres, FL; a son, John Steven Davenport of Fort Myers, FL and a daughter, Lisa Davenport Troxell of Perry, GA; grandchildren Kayla Abnathey (Ajay) of Chapin, SC,  Chad Lee Davenport (Tabitha)of Prosperity, SC, Karley Lever (Cody) of Newberry SC, Taylor Troxell, Miles Troxwll and Logan Troxell, all of Perry, GA, Daniel Patteson (Sarah) and Josiah Patteson, all of Franklin, TN, Hope Patteson Nicosia (Mike) and Emma Lee Patteson, all of Greenville, SC. He is also survived by eight great-grandchildren, Mason and Jaxson Davenport, Cameron, Ava and Bella Abnathy and McKenzie Troxell. He was preceded in death by his sons, Allen Myron Davenport and Ferrell Hollis Davenport, Jr., his parents, Edna Erick Maddox McDowell, step-father, John Wendell Maddox, brothers, Joe Davenport (Frances) of Atlanta, GA and Joel Davenport of Lehigh Acres, FA.

Memorials  sent to National Kidney Foundation, 2081 Whistling Straits Place, Ashburn, VA, 20147  or American Heart Association, 7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231,  will please the family.