Sarita (Rita) Howell Davis

On November 6, 2025, Sarita (Rita) Howell Davis, 67, entered the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior.

Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Elbert Clell Howell and Ramona Best Howell, Rita was the second of four children. As the only daughter, she quickly learned to hold her own, developing the gifts of patience and humor which so characterized her life.

Rita was raised in Radford, Virginia, where she attended both high school and college. After graduating from Radford University with a B.S. in Elementary Education, she married her one true love, David (Dave) Lee Davis, on August 9, 1980. The two had first become aware of each other in high school when Dave would frequently stop by the Howell house to pick up brother Rich for youth symphony practice. However, it wasn’t until Rita was a senior at Radford High School and Dave was a freshman at Virginia Tech, that they truly got to know each other. She played clarinet, he played trumpet. and they were both recruited to join a brass ensemble that accompanied a regional church youth choir. The match was clearly orchestrated, despite Rita wanting nothing to do with any of her brothers’ friends. In the grand tradition of Virginia Tech men dating Radford University women, they dated throughout college, and being new to the Christian faith, they grew up together spiritually.

After marriage, the Davises moved to Southern Pines, North Carolina where Dave had accepted a position with Hayes-Howell Architects. Rita began her career as a public school educator, teaching elementary grades in the Moore County school system. In 1983, after just three years in education, she was awarded Teacher of the Year. The Davises also became active in the youth ministry at First Baptist Church, leading a bible study for 20 kids. In 1984, they moved to Carrboro where Rita accepted a position teaching sixth grade and special reading, at A.L. Stanback Middle School. As heritage members of Orange United Methodist Church, they continued working with youth, teaching Sunday school and vacation bible school. In 1986, they moved to Durham, North Carolina where they most recently served at All Saints Anglican Church.

After 15 years teaching elementary and middle grades in the North Carolina public school system, Rita joined the faculty of Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill in 1995. She was the first teacher hired by the private school where she taught fourth grade for 18 years and also served as Lead Teacher. Her classroom was a haven for learning, a place where students felt seen, respected, and cared for. The mark she left on their lives is indelible.

Rita left Trinity in 2013 and began her next chapter. With a recently earned master’s degree in organizational leadership and certificate in servant leadership from Gonzaga University, she launched RDU Collaborative, a mentorship and coaching initiative devoted to helping others improve personal performance and achieve better work/life balance. She also channeled her love of writing through N2Publishing, serving as a content coordinator, features writer, and editor on neighborhood publications including Stroll Hope Valley, Stroll the Oaks, and Stroll Preston.

In an often chaotic world, Rita offered everyone she met a safe place to exhale and just breathe. Wisdom and grace flowed from her deep and abiding relationship with God. Psalm 33:20-22 was her life verse: We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you [NIV]. Her schedule was always flexible enough to accommodate spontaneous get-togethers over coffee or therapeutic walks with friends and their pups. She understood that ministry often starts in the kitchen, and nothing is more sacred than lingering around the table over a shared meal. Rita changed our lives with her distinctive blend of loving kindness, selfless generosity, gentle humor, and joy. She will be sorely missed.

Rita was proceeded in death by her father, Clell Howell; uncle and aunt, Bill and Barbara Howell; and sister-in-law Jo Howell. She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Dave Davis; mother, Ramona Howell; her brothers, Richard Clell Howell and wife Dianne, Franklin Kent Howell, and Raymond Cecil Howell and wife Sandy; as well as many beloved nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She also leaves behind her cherished Boykin Spaniels, Barkley and Banks.

A memorial service celebrating Rita’s life will be held on Saturday, November 15 at 11:00 a.m. at The Hub at Trinity School. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations designated “In honor of Rita Davis” may be made to the ONE Trinity campaign ( https://www.trinityschoolnc.org/onetrinity), All Saints Anglican Church (https://www.allsaints-chd.org/giving), or the Radford University Alumni Association (https://www.radford.edu/advancement/give.html).