Roll Call Tribute

William Davis Northcutt, IV 

June 19, 1958 - March 26, 2025 

William Davis Northcutt, IV “Davis” was born on June 19, 1958, in Fairbanks, Alaska in the United States Territory of Alaska (Alaska was admitted to the Union on January 3, 1959) to Dr. William Davis Northcutt III “W.D.” and Susanne Sandberg Northcutt. Mom and Dad were stationed on the DEW Line (Distant Early Warning Line) at Ladd Airforce Base, Fairbanks, Alaska after dental school and their wedding. Duty was rather light; other than straightening teeth for the G.I.s and keeping the Russian bombers at bay, there was not much to do so Davis showing up was not unusual. The family moved back to Longview in late 1959, and Dad went into orthodontic practice with Dr. Wade Clendenen.

Davis had a typical childhood in Longview during the 1960’s & 70’s. He graduated from the School for Little Children at the First United Methodist Church downtown and moved on to Mozelle Johnston Elementary School. During this time, he showed a budding interest and talent in art which would become a foundational theme of his life. After elementary school, he went on to Forest Park Junior High School.

After ninth grade, Davis moved to Longview High School in the old building downtown for tenth grade. He then transferred to Dallas and finished eleventh and twelfth grade at Saint Marks School of Texas in the Class of 1976. During his high school years at Saint Marks, he had taken an interest in architecture and worked during the summers for well-known local architect Rudy Bresie.

He entered college at The University of The South at Sewanee, Tennessee for his freshman year. He transferred for his sophomore year to Texas A&M University to major in Environmental Design (Architecture). He graduated from Texas A&M and went to work for CRS, a major multi-national engineering and design firm in Houston, where he helped design buildings in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. He then moved to Galveston and worked for Trinity Episcopal Church, where he published their church cookbook and created all of the illustrations. Back in Houston, he had several different occupations culminating at the University of Houston’s prestigious Sarah Campbell Blaffer Gallery art museum. Aside from working at the art museum, he also won First Prize out of 483 artists submitting 1,166 works of art at the 1992 Houston Area Exhibition, also held at The Blaffer Gallery. His latest passion was taking art and silk-screening classes at The Glassell School of Art at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Davis had a lifelong passion for art and architecture and felt most comfortable in and around art lovers and modern art in particular. Davis’ other passion was coin collecting that he practiced with his dear friends George Thomas and Horst Seeger. He could spend hours reviewing coin magazines and studying the coin market. 

Davis was predeceased by his father William Davis Northcutt III and mother Susanne Sandberg Northcutt, as well as his favorite furry, ever faithful, four legged hound “Bean”. He is survived by his sister Frances Northcutt Abernathy, her husband Craig Logan Abernathy, their children Amelia Compton Abernathy, Susannah Searcy Abernathy and Logan Northcutt Abernathy, his brother Walter Ridley Northcutt, his wife Cappucine Copeland Northcutt, their children Nathaniel Graham Northcutt and William Savage Northcutt, and his brother LeGrande Sandberg Northcutt. The family would like to recognize his very dear friend Tim Duyka for all his assistance in Houston during this very difficult time.

A Celebration of Davis’ Life will be held on Saturday, May 10, 2025 from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at the Longview Museum of Fine Arts located at 215 East Tyler Street, Longview, Texas 75601. In Lieu of flowers, please consider making memorials to The Longview Museum of Fine Arts in Davis’ memory.