Ralph C. Davis

Ralph Davis, 72, of Warwick, Rhode Island, went home to the Lord on Sunday, September 28th, surrounded by his beloved family. Born in Miami to the late Ralph & Dorothy Davis, he moved to Rhode Island at the age of 15. After a 20-year career working in human services, he switched fields and formed his own handyman business, something he did for over 20 years, until he started focusing on human services again. Around this time it became obvious to Ralph he had a deep love and calling for the homeless, as well as for those who struggle most in society. No matter what someone was going through, whether it was mental illness, drugs, homelessness or prostitution, he knew they were deserving of love and compassion. Soon after joining the non-profit, the Midnight Cry in 2008, Ralph felt led to branch off and create his own ministry, The Midnight Moment (For the Downtrodden), focusing on treating the downtrodden how we all would want to be and should be treated. Never cutting corners, Ralph home cooked soups, pastas, and dozens of other hot meals. For more than 16 years, Ralph went into some of the darkest and most dangerous places of Providence weekly, without fail. The only time he ever missed a week was to visit his family in West Virginia, which held a special place in his heart. With the help of many volunteers, friends, and colleagues alike, they brought warmth, food, clothing, and prayer to those who needed it most. One phrase that echoed through his writing and many talks before churches and schools was that society’s most vulnerable are “people just like us”. Ralph strived to inspire anyone and everyone to always have an eye out for those in need. Whether it be keeping a spare umbrella in the car for when someone is caught in the rain, or having a few waters and snacks on hand for those on the street who may be hungry-Ralph’s biggest goals were for us to see the human cries all around us, to recognize that we are called to deeply care for others, and to show people they are not alone. Ralph was an avid writer, publishing hundreds of articles for the Good News Newspaper as well as for Street Sights, where he served as the editor for several years. Ralph was excited to start a Substack, @peoplejustlikeus, where he published a lot of his own writing. His family hopes to continue to publish some of his stories and writings on this Substack as well as to continue the legacy of The Midnight Moment. Ralph is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Lisa, son Matthew and his wife Maggie of Cranston, daughter Elise Zajac and her husband Chris and three grandchildren Savannah Jane, Leah Rose, and Christopher Carmen Zajac of Merrimack, NH, whom Ralph absolutely adored. He is also survived by his sister Susan Welke and her husband Peter of Tampa, Florida, and brother Gary Davis and his wife Elaine of Brunswick, Maine, along with many nieces and nephews, and treasured grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by his half-brother Pat O’Brien, of Everett, Massachusetts. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 18th at 1:00 PM at Mathewson Church in Providence, 134 Mathewson Street, the church where Ralph enjoyed serving breakfast to those in need for over ten years. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ralph’s name to Mathewson Church to help support their weekly Sunday breakfast that feeds many people. Go to mathewsonstreetchurch.org

Ralph C. Davis

September 28, 2025