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Eric Davis
Eric Davis Obituary 1943 - 2022.
We are very sad to announce the loss of Berkshire shooter Eric Davis (EE1180) who sadly passed away on 14th March 2022 after a long battle with cancer. Our sincere condolences go out to Joan and the family.
Berkshire stalwart Andrew Halfacre remembers fondly how “Eric was a huge figure on the Berkshire shooting scene and could rightly be described as one of the county’s founding fathers. Eric won over 30 county titles and represented Berkshire many times at Inter County events. A fine all-round shot, his title wins would have come in a variety of disciplines, but English Skeet was his passion in the early days. I understand he won that County title 8 times in a row.
My earliest memories of Eric are from the early 1970’s when Berkshire was in the South West Region, and as a small boy, I used to travel with my father John to Inter County events all over the South West. Eric, along with his friends Barry Woolford and George Hedges, was often in the Berkshire teams too. An early recollection is of an Inter County DTL event in Liskeard in Cornwall where Eric was probably in his late 20’s and shooting well. His enthusiasm and passion for the sport was very evident even then. Many years later, I had the pleasure of shooting with Eric for Berkshire in a National Inter Counties English Skeet event at Bisley. Eric started with a 22 and looked at me as if to say, ‘I can do better than that’. He was right, and he finished with a 75 straight for 97/100. He had great determination to win”.
Close friend and Berkshire shot Phil Seurre remembers that “Eric was at the heart of shooting in Berkshire. He was well known by game shooters and competitive clay shooters alike, and local farmers relied on him to organise their annual clay shoots. He was an early member of the CPSA and he competed against the like of John and Mick Halfacre, who were in his own words ‘the ones to beat’. His name appears on most if not all the Berkshire Trophies, often more than once. Eric was the first Berkshire Shooter to win the sash for the inaugural 1997 Supreme Championship. Then I true style he won it again in 1998, after taking the high gun in a National Event organised by Beretta and winning a new shotgun. Eric was Chair of the Flowerpot Clay Pigeon Club until 1995 when it was dissolved and later Chair of Berkshire CPSA Committee. He moved on to form Flightline Targets in 1995 operating from Maidenhead. He ran this company until he moved down to Wales with his wife Joan in 2016. At Flightline Targets he welcomed all shooters often without payment and receiving free tuition, his enthusiasm and encouragement caused many to take up the sport seriously and go on to enter county and even international competitions”.
Eric was a great ambassador. He will be missed by Berkshire shooters and many others in the sport.
Please be advised that Eric's funeral is on Monday 11th April at Parc Gwyn Crematorium, Narbeth, SA67 8UD and afterwards at the nearby Hotel & Motel.