The 2014 Stanton Relay for Life kick-off meeting is set for April 16 at City Hall and will be held in memory of Robert Davis, 57, who passed away Feb. 28.
Robert Davis was the 2013 Relay for Life Survivor/Caregiver co-chair with Debra McManus from Sam's Club in Stanton, where Davis also worked in the office for many years.
He was with Stanton Relay for Life for four years, the first year as team captain with McManus and then they both joined the relay committee, according to Relay for Life Specialist Taryn McDonald, with the American Cancer Society.
The 2014 Stanton Relay for Life kick-off meeting is set for April 16 at City Hall and will be held in memory of Robert Davis, 57, who passed away Feb. 28.
Robert Davis was the 2013 Relay for Life Survivor/Caregiver co-chair with Debra McManus from Sam's Club in Stanton, where Davis also worked in the office for many years.
He was with Stanton Relay for Life for four years, the first year as team captain with McManus and then they both joined the relay committee, according to Relay for Life Specialist Taryn McDonald, with the American Cancer Society.
After five years of treatment, Robert lost his battle with cancer.
A memorial service and celebration of his life was held March 28 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, 12432 S. 9th St. in Garden Grove.
Barbara Conibear, Stanton's Relay for Life chair since it began in 2010, gave these thoughts at his service:
"Today as I attend this celebration of the life of Robert "Bob" Davis, I cannot help but think of him as a very strong person.
"I’ve only known Robert for approximately five years, but I can tell you it seems like he was a friend for life; that's the type of person Robert was. Once you became his friend, he didn't know how to say no to anything you asked.
"We worked together with the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. His cheery smile and wonderful attitude always made me smile and I'm forever grateful to have known such a wonderful person.
"I asked Robert about two years ago, how his cancer really was, and he told me it was back. He said he was working with some new medications but was not very optimistic about them. During last year’s Relay for Life, I saw a man who was determined to continue fighting as long as he could.
"In his whee chair, he began our 2013 event by leading the way for the survivors at Stanton Park. Robert will always be a hero in my eyes. I knew him well enough to know, that he would not want us to be sad but that he would want us to be happy that his life was able to come into ours in such a special way.
"As I've heard many times recently, 'Don’t cry, but be glad because it happened the way it did, and we knew Robert.'
"We can learn from what happened and take every day, giving grace and mercy to another, because we just don’t know when our time is up. rest in peace my 'forever friend.'"
Conibear is no stranger to cancer herself.
When Relay for Life came to Stanton in 2010, Conibear chaired the program through 2013; she will help in 2014 as Emeritus Chair, but is taking time to be with her daughter Michelle, who 10 years ago was diagnosed with cervical cancer and beat it, then it returned three years ago with cervical cancer cells but once again it's in remission — and she's getting married.
"Michelle found the cancer again through a watchful eye with her doctors," said Conibear.
"My mother has had skin cancer, my brother has esophagus cancer, my sister-in-law has throat cancer and this month, my very close family friend passed away from the effects of ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
"Robert was the kind of guy who just was always there. I would laugh and cry with him and I remember when Sam's Club got their roasted chicken machine, Robert would say, 'Hey, how about I bring the chicken for the meeting tonight,' and I would bring the salad and we would rally around food at the Relay meetings.
"I knew his cancer was not doing well because he told me a couple of years ago that even though he was hopeful with the new treatment, he also couldn't tolerate the treatment well. I popped in on Robert with e-mail's periodically and he would share how sick he felt all the time. I felt bad for him; part of me wants to really rally for ACS this year because I'm angry at losing our friend, but reality is that I have my only daughter, getting married in November and wedding plans have to come first.
"I will be there to help with organizing like I always do, but have to take a back-seat role this year when I was asked to head up bringing ACS to Stanton. At first it seemed like a task, but after being involved and realizing how many people in my own inner circle have been affected by cancer, it became a mission," Conibear said.
Conibear asked for prayers for Robert’s friends and family.
Other friends and co-workers remembered Robert Davis as kind, always kind to everyone, saying that was a lesson they learned from him and took to heart.
Others remembered Robert's fun sense of humor and that Robert loved all of the holidays, dressing up for each holiday, and that on the 25th of each month, he would call friends and remind them that there were only so many months, days or weeks until Christmas.
Heading up the Stanton Relay for Life this year is Sara Neal, with the Boys & Girls Club of Stanton.
The Stanton ACS Relay for Life will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. April 16 at Stanton City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave. in Stanton.
For information, email Sara Neal at sara@boysandgirlsclubofstanton.com.
