JOHN LEE DAVIS, LONGTIME COVINGTON RADIO HOST, DIES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 24, 1992                   TAG: 9202240145
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: COVINGTON                                LENGTH: Short
JOHN LEE DAVIS, LONGTIME COVINGTON RADIO HOST, DIES
John Lee Davis, a longtime WKEY Radio announcer and program director, died Sunday at his home. He was 72.
Born in Norfolk, Davis moved to the Covington area as a small child and graduated from Covington High School.
A World War II veteran, Davis joined WKEY after the war as host of the "Early Riser" and "Kitchen Club" programs.
His rich, comforting voice could be heard each each morning at 11:15 with news of hometown happenings, church notes and obituaries. He continued the "Kitchen Club" program for nine years after his retirement in October 1981.
"That is still just an incredibly strong program in the community, thanks to his efforts," said WKEY manager Denny Tincher.
"He'd seen it all. We have pictures of him back in the days when they'd bring talent into the studios to broadcast live or when they'd do the morning shows on location from the soda fountain at a local pharmacy."
Davis held leadership positions in numerous civic organizations, including the Covington-Hot Springs Rotary Club, American Cancer Society and Edgemont Presbyterian Church.
Davis served with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Frances Wright-Davis; a brother, Thomas O. Davis Jr. of San Philip, Mexico; and a daughter, Julia Lee Davis of Dumfries.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Edgemont Presbyterian Church.
Memo: a different version of this story ran in the New River Valley edition.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB