Dila Shaw Davis

Celebrating the Life of Dila Shaw Davis

Family and friends will gather to honor the life of Dila Shaw Davis on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Cottle Funeral Home in Troup.  Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by a funeral service at 2:00 pm and burial at Bradford Cemetery.

Dila’s journey began in Henderson, Texas, on March 4, 1933. Because she arrived on the day of FDR’s inauguration, she was famously known as the “Roosevelt Girl” growing up. She eventually made her way to Austin, where she built a distinguished career. After early roles with the Texas Supreme Court and the Austin=American Statesman, she spent three decades as a respected editor and department head at Applied Research Laboratories.

To know Dila was to feel a bit of magic. She had a gentle, ethereal presence and a heart particularly tuned to the needs of animals. Her compassion led her to establish a dog shelter near Austin, saving countless lives.

Dila is lovingly remembered by her son, Joseph Ben Davis; her granddaughter, Sara and her husband Floyd (Jr.) Edick; her great-grandsons, Jacob and Jackson; her siblings, Barbara Shaw Alford and Joe Shaw; including Rita Thomas and Ben's sister Sonya Simmons. She joins her parents, Minnie and Burk Shaw, in eternal rest.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cottle Funeral Home, Troup.

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