Whether it was on his home turf or a hundred miles away in the state capital, DuPont Davis was a warrior when it came to working for the betterment of Hertford County and North Carolina.

After nearly a quarter century of public service, that brave and battled-tested warrior laid down his armor early Thursday morning and answered the call of a higher power.

Not only has Hertford County lost its biggest fan, so has the region…so has the state.

Never let it be said that Davis wasn’t a fighter. He met each and every challenge head-on, never backing down in the face of an uphill battle.

It was DuPont Davis’ undisputed love of Hertford County that helped pave the way for industrial giant Nucor to bring much-needed jobs to the local area.

Davis championed the effort to have the state relieve counties of their portion of Medicaid payments.

He wore his emotions of his sleeve when the state closed the Employment Security Commission office in Ahoskie. Once again it was his tireless efforts that prompted a meeting among local, regional and state officials, one that led to an ESC office re-opening at Roanoke-Chowan Community College.

At recent commissioner meetings, Davis stood at the forefront of an issue regarding a possible movement by the state to have each county responsible for highway improvement and expansion. Davis vowed to fight against that proposal, saying it would place an unfair burden on the local citizens.

Regionally, Davis helped to focus the spotlight on our part of the state through his involvement with the Mid-East Commission.

At the state level, he was very active with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, serving one term as its president and several terms on its board of directors.

However, he never forgot where he came from and for whom he served. First elected in 1988, Davis was in the middle of his sixth term as a Hertford County Commissioner at the time of his death. Someone will fill that now empty seat on the commission, but there will never be another DuPont Davis.

Our condolences go out to his wife, his four children, seven grandchildren and seven siblings as well as our sincere thanks for sharing your loved one with the citizens of Hertford County and the Tar Heel State. May you all take comfort in the fact that DuPont Davis left his footprints throughout Hertford County and North Carolina and we are all better off due to his efforts.