Carol Davis obit

The First Lady of Raider Nation, Carol Davis, has passed away at 93

 

She was not on the list.

Earlier today at 1:05pm, Mark Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch at Allegiant Stadium in honor of and tribute to his mother, Carol Davis, the First Lady of Raider Nation, who passed away on Friday afternoon at the age of 93.

Her strength and resilience, although not seen by the masses, were always on display to those who were fortunate to be in her presence. She was a strong woman who exuded a compassionate and loving side.

Carol provided unbridled support and unparalleled guidance to the Davis family and the Raiders organization for over 60 years. Her direct impact on the Greatness of the Raiders continues to be felt, cherished, and honored, and is woven into the fabric of this historic franchise. If Al was the heart of the Raiders, Carol was the soul.

The First Lady of Raider Nation stood proudly beside her husband, witnessing the Silver and Black claim an American Football League Championship and three World Championships of Professional Football, winning Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. Together, they experienced the greatest games played by the greatest players and led by the greatest coaches in the annals of professional sports.

Lovingly referred to as "Carolee" by her husband, she continued the tradition of him presenting a record nine inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when she performed those honors for the enshrinement of the great Tom Flores in 2021.

A year earlier, yet another poignant moment took place when Mrs. Davis became the first to light the Al Davis Memorial Torch at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas during the stadium's first game on September 21, 2020, honoring her late husband and his unyielding will to win.

Mrs. Davis has ascended to the heavens to take a rightful seat on the Throne of Greatness next to her husband Al, both of whom are wrapped in Cloaks of Immortality.

A private service will be held in Oakland, California, with plans being made for a celebration of life at a future date.

She was part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Davis was the widow of longtime Raiders' owner Al Davis and inherited the team upon his death on October 8, 2011.

Al Davis suggested in 1997 that Carol would succeed him should he no longer be able to run the Raiders franchise, saying it again in 2006.

Davis grew up in New York City, and graduated from New York University with a marketing degree. She worked as a buyer, selecting designer clothing for retail stores, before her husband joined the Raiders. Carol and Al Davis married in a Brooklyn synagogue in 1954 after Al's discharge from the U.S. Army; the couple established a first home in Atlantic Beach, near Al Davis's parents.

In late 1979, Davis suffered a serious heart attack which placed her in the hospital and in a coma for three weeks, but she later recovered completely.

Davis has one son, Mark (born 1955). After her husband's death in October 2011, Raiders chief executive Amy Trask said that the team "will remain in the Davis family." Carol and Mark held controlling interest in the Raiders. However, Carol mostly left the Raiders in the hands of Mark, who took over his father's old post of managing general partner and operating head of the franchise. Davis continued attending some games and was present for the groundbreaking of Allegiant Stadium in 2017. On September 21, 2020, Davis lit the Al Davis memorial torch prior to the Raiders first-ever game at Allegiant Stadium. In 2021, she presented Tom Flores for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Carol Sagal married Al Davis in 1954, and she has been part of the Oakland Raiders organization ever since Al was hired as coach in 1963 and eventually its owner. The Raiders won three Super Bowl titles under Al Davis' leadership following the 1976, '80 and '83 seasons. They also played on Los Angeles.

"Carol provided unbridled support and unparalleled guidance to the Davis family and the Raiders organization for over 60 years," the team said in a statement. "Her direct impact on the Greatness of the Raiders continues to be felt, cherished, and honored, and is woven into the fabric of this historic franchise. If Al was the heart of the Raiders, Carol was the soul."