Cora Elizabeth Bowie Davis of Rogers

Cora Davis, whose rural childhood in East Texas took her all the way to the upper echelons of corporate America, died October 27, 2025 in Rogers, AR, her home of 29 years. She retired from Wal-Mart in 2006, and her love of Northwest Arkansas kept her rooted in the region.

Cora will be remembered for her faith in God's will, as well as her extraordinary business acumen and exceptional achievements as a retail executive. Cora's grace, nurturing spirit, and her unwavering support and empowerment of family, friends, and community are a testament to her selfless resolve to live a life of impact filled with compassion, generosity and kindness. Further, Cora's warmth, optimism and friendly demeanor made everyone feel welcome and loved; she has left an indelible mark on the minds and hearts of all who knew her.

Cora was born March 25, 1943, in Sandy Creek, Texas, the seventh child and the fifth daughter of Matthew Bowie and Preatha Simmons Bowie. By her own family biography, she was reared in a part of East Texas among workers with rough reputations, laborers who plowed their fields with mules, farmers who harvested tree resin, and children who learned in a one room schoolhouse and cut wood and fed the animals for their chores. In her words— "It was a hardscrabble life".

Her parents' home was modest, but always clean and the family even had a piano, where their father would sometimes entertain by playing jaunty tunes such as "Barrel House Boogie." The piano and a guest bedroom signaled the parents' middle-class aspirations for their children, even though their humble home lacked electricity and running water.

In later life, Cora's collection of beautiful porcelain chickens and similar artwork was a colorful and whimsical reminder of the childhood she shared with her siblings. The family farm provided just about everything they needed. "We took our lunch to school, and I will just say McDonald's and Burger King did not invent the first sausage biscuit as this was typically in our lunch box," she wrote. The family was never deprived of any necessities, but living in the country was at times challenging and her parents sought greater opportunities for their children with relatives in cities around Texas. Gaps in age allowed some of the children to stay with their older siblings who had embarked on successful careers in research and medicine in cities around the country. Thus, Cora was provided with unique childhood mileposts: at just 12 years old, she traveled by train with her toddler niece, Janet, in tow all the way from rural East Texas to Cleveland, Ohio where she saw her first movie "Around the World in 80 Days."

Cora developed an interest in fashion and after completing high school, her parents allowed her to move to New York and live with her oldest brother, Matthew. There she attended the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm, where many students secured modeling contracts after graduating. It was during that time that Cora saw up close her brother's hard work as a research biologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and concluded that experience "was a very good confidence builder and helpful transition from Sandy Creek to the big city."

Absent a modeling contract, but still ambitious, Cora turned her focus to college and accepted her sister Zelda's invitation to live in Washington, D.C., where Zelda taught psychiatry at Howard University Medical School. Still, with just a peek toward fashion, Cora majored in Clothing and Textiles at Howard. She won a study abroad fellowship that took her to Paris in the summer of 1963. "My world had changed; I was a long way from Sandy Creek."

From study abroad in Paris to walking among the 250,000 who marched to the Lincoln Memorial to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak of his dream for America, Cora's education and experience prepared her for towering success on her career path. Upon graduation from Howard, she interviewed with several department stores that were seeking executive trainees. Her first job in retail was with the department store Rike Kumler Co., in Dayton, Ohio, where, although Cora said, "I knew no one," she used the platform to launch her 40-year career. Retail was "a great fit," she wrote.

By 1966 she moved to Philadelphia and wed Robert Ralph Davis. In the ensuing years, Cora and Robert would joyously welcome Mark, Elisa, and Danyon into the world. But as their marriage reached an end in 1975, and with children aged 7, 5 and 1, Cora returned to her promising career in retail. She went to work for Strawbridge & Clothier in Philadelphia, eventually blossoming in her role as Divisional Merchandise Manager with their subsidiary discount chain, Clover. Further vertical opportunities arose in 1988 when Cora relocated to Charlotte, NC to pursue a role for national chain, Family Dollar where she was elevated to Vice President. In 1996, Wal-Mart hired her, culminating a career that saw her run the Girlswear, Ladies, Baby, and Boyswear divisions at various points in her 10 years with the world's largest retailer.

Cora's career in retail took her to China, Japan, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Central America, Canada, France, England, Singapore and Indonesia, among other stops. She shared her love for travel with her family, packing the grandchildren – whom she loved dearly – off to picturesque and exotic ports of call. As a precursor to the annual family trip she hosted in Hilton Head, SC, she welcomed her grands into her home for a fun-filled week of thoughtfully planned activities for "Cousins' Week" in and around her home in Rogers.

Upon retirement, Cora maintained an active life of leadership and civic engagement. A crowning achievement of her life of service included her work as a founding member of the Tea Rose Foundation, which is the 501(c)(3) arm of the Phi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. The foundation has presented more than $450,000 in scholarships in Northwest Arkansas. Additionally, Cora was a charter member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Phi Alpha Omega Chapter. She was also recognized as a Golden Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, for her national membership of more than 50 years.

Cora's life of service included contributions to the Northwest Arkansas (AR) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (as a charter member), the United Way, the Junior League, the Rogers Public Library Foundation, Arkansas PBS Foundation, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and Heifer International. Her robust enthusiasm for the arts in Northwest Arkansas included service as a docent for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, as well as active support for Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and TheatreSquared.

Cora was presented with several awards throughout her life, including the Torch of Liberty Award by the Anti-Defamation League in New York and the Wal-Mart Unity Award. Her successful career as a retail executive was commemorated by her induction into the National Association of Negro Business Professional Women's Hall of Fame.

She is survived by son, Mark Davis of Scotts Valley, CA; daughter, Elisa Davis of Chicago, IL and son, Danyon Davis of Syracuse, NY; siblings, Matthew Bowie, of Baltimore, MD, and Iris Thomas of Chicago, IL. Cora also leaves to mourn her loss, grandchildren Cora, Mars, Gian, Cassia, and Payton, as well as many, many beloved members of her extended family. Services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 10 in Hunt Chapel at Pinnacle Memorial Gardens, 5930 W. Wallis, Rogers, AR. Interment will immediately follow.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the American Cancer Society.