Davis Evan Cheek

Davis Evan Cheek, born April 16,1947 died Monday, December 27, 2021. Davis was a remarkable man with an unforgettable charm.

He grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas, the son of dentist D.W. Cheek and Kittie Kelley. He had one sister, DeeAnn Donohoe-Vaughn of Davenport Iowa.After attending classes at Tulane University in New Orleans, he entered the Army during the Vietnam War and served 4 years as an air traffic controller. After the army he had a number of interesting jobs,but fell in love with the showmanship and logistics of traveling carnivals. He owned and operated concessions, games, and sideshows, which took him around the US many times over in the 1970s and 1980s. He even took a sideshow exhibition called “Headless Helga” to a fair in Puerto Rico. While there, he also discovered his love of kite flying. He would drive across the country again as a salesman many times over during different periods in his life selling everything from high-end pressure cookers to hot tubs. He operated massive souvenir booths at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. That year, Davis started a custom printed t-shirt business in Slidell, Louisiana called “The T-Shirt Shoppe” where he hired a talented artist, Betty Jo, who soon became the love of his life. They married in 1989 and moved to Aiken, SC in 1990. Their only daughter Degan was born the following year. Betty Jo and Davis were married for 32 years. Betty Jo still runs The T-Shirt Shoppe and Express Signs in Aiken today. Degan lives in Augusta, Georgia and works as a graphic designer, very much inspired by growing up around her creative parents and their businesses.

He truly had a sense of wanderlust. He created memories and had adventures all across this county, which he loved so dearly.He was a patriot and fiercely defended his faith in God.Davis never met a stranger and could talk to anyone about anything, and he did. He was always learning - curious about everything. And as a salesman, there was no one better.

Davis loved his many hobbies which included flying power kites, operating a New York style hot dog wagon, buying and selling antiques and oddities at auctions and flea markets, visiting homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, volunteering as a ground air traffic controller at major airplane expositions, fixing and driving his Jeep Wrangler, mentoring men from the Salvation Army, discussing politics, cooking, fishing, and sharing stories about his life. He took the most pride in being a businessman and he was always brainstorming ideas for new businesses and how he could jump into trends he saw on the horizon.

Davis will be dearly missed by anyone who ever had the chance to hear his life stories and wonder…” Did that actually happen?” Yes. It was all true. And somewhere in the midst of his extensive collections, his family has the proof for everything.

In his own words, “What a life I’ve lived. I’ve enjoyed it all.”