Tributes flow for Orange giant John Davis: 'His legacy can't be denied'

The long-serving mayor, businessman, philanthropist, and supporter of community sport died on Monday night. He was 74.

Strength, conviction, empathy, humbleness and unwavering generosity have since been repeatedly cited as defining traits by those who knew him best.

"He was like a second father to me," Orange City Council mayor Jason Hamling told the Central Western Daily on Tuesday.

"[John] was a committed family man. All his decision making was about putting Orange at the forefront.

"There are a lot of projects in Orange now bearing fruit because of what he believed in ... the Macquarie pipeline, the PCYC, the indoor pool, just to name a few. His legacy can't be denied.

"He was so generous with time and money. He didn't want people to know what he did but he was always being generous.

"Last year ... in Canberra I got 15 seconds with the Prime Minister, and he said: 'I remember coming up to Orange to open up the pool and John Davis was the mayor. He was a great mayor.'"

In spite of political differences, former councillor Neil Jones developed a lasting friendship with Mr Davis and immense respect for his leadership.

"I'm just devastated ... what a loss to the community," he said.

"One of our major differences was over the Macquarie pipeline ... we had opposing views, but our respect grew for each other. That initial conflict turned around into a great working relationship.

"We have a shared love of classic cars ... we had established a great working relationship and we shared this great mutual respect and that friendship continued.

"We talked on and off over the years of how a wonderful thing in Orange would be a car museum and it would be a wonderful testament to him.

"I don't think people realize the extent of his support throughout the community.

"One of my greatest regrets is not going on one of his great charity car rallies ... he joked about how my Monaro wouldn't last the distance."

In a statement, Orange City Council CEO David Waddell reflected on the former mayor's lasting contributions to the town.

"As Mayor, John Davis was able to strike a good balance between listening to the community, but also being thick-skinned enough to tough it out when he faced opposition," he said

"He was always on the lookout for the next big project and was ready to go to Sydney or Canberra to find the money. Orange is in a much better position water-wise because of decisions taken during the years he served."

Member for Orange Phil Donato said: "John had immense generosity and was an incredibly humble man, who sought no recognition for what he gave to his community."

Flags at Orange City Council are flying at half-mast to pay tribute to Mr Davis this week.

"John was a wonderful human being ... he will be sorely missed," former deputy mayor Pam Ryan said on Tuesday.

"I loved him to bits ... he was an extraordinary mayor in the way he led this community. He was very much a 'can do' person.

"He was very, very kind and a generous person who had a lovely strong heart. When I was deputy principal at Canobolas High School John was very generous, but he always gave anonymously. He didn't want any recognition or fanfare.

"I just loved the way he managed meetings, he didn't take any nonsense. He wouldn't let fluff and bother happen. He was never rude to people, but he certainly didn't let things get out of hand."

Mr Davis sat on Orange City Council from 2004 to 2017, serving as mayor for all-but-one year. It followed a stint in the top job at Blayney Shire Council.

"The thing with John Davis was he always had a vision for the future. It was something I really respected and admired," current Blayney Shire Council mayor Scott Ferguson said.

"I think I've tried to learn a lot from John's leadership and I hope I have in some small way done that.

"He had a great empathy ... even though he was a strong leader. I know that he helped a lot of people behind the scenes ... that in itself makes him a truly wonderful man and a big loss for our community."

He coached the Blayney Bears to a Group 10 premiership in 1996, almost two decades after captaining the team to its first grand final win in 1977.

"Because of John Davis, Group 10 was at its strongest in the 1990s. He brought professionalism to the group," club stalwart Adam Hornby said.

"He'll be a big loss for the Central West. He helped the town of Blayney wherever he could. He was such a great sponsor."

Mr Davis was a patron of causes close to his heart, including Cancer Care Western NSW's Western Care Lodge from its inception in 2011.

In 2013 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia - among the country's highest civilian honours - for "service to local government and the community of Orange."

John Davis Motors opened its doors as a used car dealership in 1983. It continues to operate as a family business on Bathurst Road.

Announcing retirement to the CWD in 2017, he listed construction of the Macquarie pipeline, stormwater harvesting scheme, Aquatic Centre and Northern Distributor Road among his proudest achievements on council.

"Sometimes your time comes up, I suppose. It's a bit like when you go and play football and suddenly you realise you've played your last game without really knowing why," he said at the time.

"I don't need to be remembered for anything in particular. I'd be very happy if, one night for instance, I was sitting in the gutter, and I was looking a bit worse for wear, and you simply thought enough of me to come up and just say 'g'day'.

"That's all I'd like."

Reading this on mobile web? Download our news app. It's faster, easier to read and we'll send you alerts for breaking news as it happens. Download in the Apple Store or Google Play.