LEWISBURG--People in the Lewisburg area say it has not sunken in yet that a 30-year-old assistant high school football coach drowned in North Carolina yesterday. Friends are remembering Thaddeus Davis as they cope with his death.
What was supposed to be a fun family vacation for Thaddeus and Amy Davis, and their four children turned to tragedy. Officials say Thaddeus died after he got caught in a rip tide in North Carolina's Outer Banks. The Davis family lives in Lewisburg. Thaddeus was well known, and well liked as an assistant football coach at Lewisburg Area High School.
"A motivator, a leader of young men, a mentor of young men, and he did it the right way," Jim Snyder said.
Jim Snyder is the head wrestling coach at Lewisburg Area High School. He was close friends with Davis.
"Thaddeus was 1. A man of God. 2. A fantastic family man. His family came first. And a man who loved football," Snyder said.
Davis helped a lot of kids on and off the field. Jennifer Inch tells Newswatch 16 her son Noah looked up to Thaddeus. The coach was Noah's mentor.
"If you had a problem you went to Thad. Thad helped everybody through their problems, whether it was school work, their house or anything," Inch said.
Davis spent a lot of time here at Bucknell University. He not only worked here, he played football here while he was in college.
"If you're having a bad day, you'd talk to him for five minutes and your worries were over," Jason Wenrich said.
Jason Wenrich is president of the Lewisburg Youth Football League. Davis was one of the league's coaches. Thaddeus and his wife Amy have four children and a baby due later this year.
"The whole community is basically going to have five more children now. And the Lewisburg community will do that, no hesitation," Wenrich said.
Thaddeus Davis was very involved in his church, Revival Tabernacle, near Watsontown. The pastor of that church says Davis was a lay minister and an incredible man.