Oklahoma City attorney James Franklin Davis, a founding member of the law firm of Andrews Davis, passed away last September at the age of 90. He spent more than 50 years of his legal career at that firm. His daughter, Nancy Lynn Roberts, followed in his footsteps into the practice of law, creating a family legacy of Oklahoma attorneys.

Earlier this year, Ms. Roberts made a generous memorial donation to the OBF in honor of her father. Along with the donation for legal services was a message fondly remembering her father:

Dad hailed from Muskogee. He worked his way through his fraternity, graduated from University of Oklahoma (OU) undergraduate in three years with an accounting degree and then went on to graduate from OU law school. When he got his first job, he had only one suit to wear. The firm he went to work for sent him to Bob Orbach and asked that he “loan him some clothes” on the promise that Jim would pay him back. And that he did. Not only did he take him cash from his paycheck each month in person, but Dad later told us three daughters that the only place we could shop was at Orbach’s. Dad was forever grateful to Bob for “clothing” him so that he could launch out into the law profession that he so loved.

I was very close to my father. He was a good, good man. He loved the intellectual practice of law, had a deep and very private faith and above all else he loved helping people. He hated billing (and was a bit infamous for that within his firm). To avoid billing, I went the corporate counsel and business owner route. He helped me navigate many of the treacherous waters that entrepreneurs and small business owners face. During one season, I called him every morning on the way to work, and he would listen intently and deliver sage advice, wise next steps, and good things to consider. I miss him every day even though I am so thankful to have had him all my life.

The OBF is proud to honor attorneys like those in the Davis family who work hard to provide legal services in Oklahoma.

OBF GRANTEE CLIENT WRITES CAPTIVATING BOOK FOR CHILDREN

OBF Grantee client Sang Rem tells her captivating story in her recently published children’s book Refugee – My Journey from Myanmar/Burma to the USA. Illustrated by Ms. Rem’s childhood friend, C Remruat Kima, this book is bright, colorful, inspirational and educational.

Ms. Rem is a former refugee from Chin State, Myanmar/Burma. In 1997, she and her family were forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands. They fled to Malaysia and then registered with the United Nations as refugees. Her story and frightening journey to America are truly inspirational.

In 2010, after Ms. Rem and her family were resettled in Oklahoma, she was introduced to OBF Grantee partner The Spero Project. The staff at The Spero Project supported the family daily, helped them learn English and assisted Ms. Rem in achieving her dreams. After high school, she began work as the student support specialist for The Spero Project, helping other refugee clients with similar stories. This job gave her the means to pay for college and ultimately earn a bachelor’s degree in child development and a master’s degree in family education from the University of Central Oklahoma.

Ms. Rem is now the director of resettlement at The Spero Project, but she still has dreams on the horizon. She says, “We didn’t have any children’s books in our house when I was little. There are no children’s books written in my mother’s tongue of Zanniet and very few written in Burmese. Child education and development are very important to me, and I want to write children’s books in these dialects in the future.”

You can purchase Refugee and learn more about Ms. Rem’s upcoming projects at https://sangremproject.com.