Romay Davis, 104, was many things. A Black WWII veteran. A Congressional Gold Medal winner. A black-belt taekwondo recipient.

Longtime caregiver Stacia Robinson confirmed that Montgomery resident died Friday after a life spent taking on new challenges, even into her final years.

There will be a viewing from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Ross-Clayton Funeral Home. Her funeral will be 11:30 a.m. Friday at the Fort Mitchell National Cemetery.

In 1942, she joined the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion as one of the 855 Black women who sorted through mountains of backlogged mail for soldiers during World War II. Davis is the last surviving member. Davis worked in the motor pool, where she drove trucks and cars and kept the vehicles in tip-top shape.

“We showed we could do anything anyone else could do," Davis said when she was honored at the Beyond Barriers military conference. “... Race doesn’t have anything to do with abilities."

Davis served at a time when the military remained segregated. She received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2022.

Davis went on to have a career as a fashion designer and a model. Later in life, she earned her second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

She has been a member of the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church since the 1990s and is also a deacon for the church.

At her 104th birthday party at Winn Dixie, where she worked stocking shelves and talking to customers, Davis said that even when people want to do something in advanced age, they should do it. Davis was able to do most of the things she has wanted to do in this life, she said.

The Montgomery Advertiser newspaper that featured Romay Davis as a black belt in taekwondo.

Winn-Dixie's parent company started the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant to help fund organizations that support minorities.

"My family and I are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mrs. Davis," Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed said in a statement. "As one of Montgomery’s most decorated veterans, she exemplified dedication and service throughout her life.

"Whether through her military honors or her contributions at Winn-Dixie, she consistently showed an unwavering commitment to her family, friends and community. Her extraordinary life and kindness will always be remembered.”

Robinson was friends with Davis for 36 years and said “she just did anything she thought she was big enough to do. She did it."

“I would characterize being with as an extraordinary inspiration," Robinson said. In Davis' last days, “her mind was as sharp as ever. Her body was just giving out," Robinson said.

*The preceding content is not intended as a comprehensive biography, but it highlights their significance as a result of military or civilian distinction, lasting achievements, or association with impactful national events. 

https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2024/06/24/groundbreaking-wwii-vet-romay-davis-dies-at-104/74199341007/

https://www.army.mil/article/258927/wwii_veteran_romay_davis_awarded_congressional_gold_medal

Fort Mitchell National Cemetery

Thanks for sharing your life journey so that others women may follow!  You truly are our ancestors wildest drem come true and you didn't even need a cape!....RIP Wonder Woman

Mrs. Catherine Romay Johnson Davis,

Thank you for your service
 Mich gratitude to you and those who paved the way for women/minority women after you. Blessings to reuniting with your loving husband.

Rest in Heaven,
Sincerely,  
Deneisha L. Jones, MSgt, USAF, Retired 

ROMAY CATHERINE DAVIS

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