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Obituaries

Harry Davis | Kosher caterer, 86

    Published 

Harry Davis, 86, of Telford, a Philadelphia-area kosher caterer for more than 50 years, died of renal failure at Mercy Suburban Hospital in Norristown on July 13.

A 1942 graduate of Central High School, Mr. Davis was an Army Ranger who saw combat during the D-Day invasion.

With his father, Harry, and his brother Milton, Mr. Davis opened Davis Caterers at Broad Street and Girard Avenue in 1948 and operated it into the 1960s, said his son Ronnie, who owns a special events and catering business in Manhattan.

After the Broad Street business closed, his son said, Mr. Davis continued his kosher catering until 2000.

In September 1987, for instance, Mr. Davis and a partner opened the Willow Grove Dinner Theater in the ballroom of the Fiesta Motor Lodge on Easton Road near the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Mr. Davis was running a kosher catering operation from the motel.

Ronnie Davis said that when people learn who his father was, "they say, 'Oh my God, he did my bar mitzvah,' or, 'He did my wedding.' He had touched so many people's lives."

Besides his son, he is survived by his wife, Jacqueline; sons Alan and Stuart; a daughter, Phyllis Teller; three grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his first wife, Lillian Unger.

A memorial service is planned.