John Burl Davenport, Jr., 84, of Waco, passed away peacefully Friday, May 10, 2013 at his home. Burial was 9:30 a.m. Monday, May 13 at Oakwood Cemetery. A memorial service followed at Lake Shore Baptist Church, with Dorisanne Cooper and Sharlande Sledge officiating. Burl was born May 27, 1928, in Dallas, Texas to Mary Madonna and John Burl Davenport, Sr. During his childhood and youth, he and his family moved frequently, also living in Sherman, Whitewright, Bay City, Hillsboro, and Waco. After attending Sam Houston State University to receive his training to run linotype machines, he moved to Waco in 1950 to accept a job at the Baylor Press as a linotype operator. Burl began taking classes and graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1956. It was while working at the Baylor Press that he met the love of his life, Catherine Ann Osborne, who was serving as editor for The Baylor Lariat. Burl and Catherine were married in Plainview, Texas, on May 29, 1954. Together they had five children: Karen, Lynn, Tracy, Terri, and Mays. He was the beloved “Papa” for 17 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Catherine preceded him in death on February 13, 2013, after nearly 59 years of marriage. After his graduation from Baylor, he worked in banking at the First National Bank of Waco, then as an independent stockbroker. He owned and operated two retail stores, Sports Mart and The Outfitter. He retired after working several years at Advertising Resources. As a young couple, the Davenports helped begin a new church in the Mountainview neighborhood in 1959. They were two of the 225 charter members of Lake Shore Baptist Church. Though Burl was only 31 years old, he was immediately seen as a leader in the young congregation and was appointed as treasurer. One of the three original Trustees, he served 54 years. He also served as a deacon and had a regular role as a money counter on Sunday mornings and collected money for the Wednesday night suppers that Catherine coordinated. Many Lake Shore members, young and old, have fond memories of the church ice cream socials that the Davenports hosted in their backyard for 44 years. His volunteer service to the community included board tenures for the Waco Lions Club, Camp Fire Girls, YMCA, Better Business Bureau, Freeman House, and Hillcrest Baptist Hospital. He served as District Director for the Waco Toastmasters and on the Young Life Committee. In his adult years, Burl enjoyed listening to and collecting all genres of music. He became an avid golfer in his late 30s. He loved cooking and photography and took many fishing trips from the Gulf Coast to Canada. For 35 years, Burl enjoyed spending time with family and friends on Lake Waco on the barge. A great storyteller and joke-teller, Burl was a great conversationalist and enjoyed the company of friends until the last weeks of his life. In his later years, Burl loved to watch the Texas Rangers. Although Burl may not have remembered your name, you would never have known it because he always had a kind word. He was a gentleman; generous, honest, friendly and accepting of others. One of his greatest qualities was his resilience. In his teen years, he had an injury to his leg, with 17 surgeries to follow. Always resilient, he faced the challenges of his bad leg and moved forward with an irrepressible spirit. Burl is survived by his children: daughters, Karen Smith and husband, Andy, of Hillsboro; Lynn Stumberg and husband, B.G., of Helena, Montana; Tracy Gonzales and husband, Mike, of Brenham; and Terri Porter and husband, Greg, of Kempner; a son, Mays Davenport and wife, Lauren, of Prosper; grandchildren, Benjamin, Colin, and Patrick Smith; Bekah Taylor and husband, Nate, Catie, Beau, Caleb, and Josh Stumberg; Ana Parker and husband, Watson, Maggie and Lee Gonzales; Sarah and Rachel Porter; Pearson, Aubrey, Logan, and Lucas Davenport; one great-grandchild, Liam Gonzales; and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorials may be made to the Ministry Fund at Lake Shore Baptist Church, 5801 Bishop Drive, Waco, TX 76710. The family would like to thank the Lake Shore family for their expressions of care and to Burl’s caretaker, Pauline Olvera, for her loving care over the last few years.