[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF JUDITH MONASTRA DAVIS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 7, 2016

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, sadly, on November 24, 
2016, the Midlands of South Carolina lost a beloved business leader and 
civic volunteer with the death of Judy Davis. As Executive Vice 
President and Chief Legal Officer for BlueCross BlueShield of South 
Carolina, she achieved extraordinary professional success. The 
following obituary was published in The State newspaper of Columbia, 
South Carolina on November 30, 2016:
       Columbia.--Judith Monastra Davis, 57, of Columbia, South 
     Carolina passed away unexpectedly on November 24, 2016 at 
     Palmetto Health Richland following an extended illness. She 
     was born on January 13, 1959 in Mansfield, Ohio to Basil 
     Herman Monastra and Carmella Greer Monastra of Lexington, 
     Ohio, who survive. She also is survived by her husband of 
     thirty years, Gerald L. (Jerry) Davis, Jr. of Columbia, South 
     Carolina. In addition, she is survived by a brother, James 
     Monastra and aunt, Carol Greer, both of Lexington, Ohio.
       Judy earned a Bachelor of Science in Business 
     Administration degree from Ohio Northern University, 
     graduating summa cum laude in 1981. She earned her Doctor of 
     Jurisprudence degree from The Ohio State University in 1984, 
     where she also was recognized as the Moot Court Distinguished 
     Oralist.
       She began her corporate law career and met her husband at 
     Lincoln National Corporation in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1984. 
     They were married on March 15, 1986 at St. Mary's Catholic 
     Church in Fort Wayne where they have maintained their parish 
     membership.
       At Lincoln National, Judy worked in various legal, 
     strategic planning, and domestic and international mergers 
     and acquisitions positions over 10 years. She helped that 
     company to develop and receive one of the first U.S. patents 
     in the insurance industry for the use of artificial 
     intelligence in the underwriting of life reinsurance and she 
     led the spinoff of a subsidiary health insurance company in a 
     billion-dollar public offering. Recruited to BlueCross 
     BlueShield of South Carolina in 1995 as Vice President and 
     General Counsel, her intellect, expertise, broad and deep 
     experience, and emotional intelligence made her a valuable 
     member of the corporation's senior leadership team. In 2007, 
     she was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Legal 
     Officer where she served as the senior officer responsible 
     for five of the corporation's subsidiaries including 
     Companion Life Insurance Company, Companion Captive 
     Insurance, Companion Property & Casualty Insurance Company, 
     and UCI Medical Affiliates, as well as having three corporate 
     divisions reporting to her--Law, Government Affairs and 
     Corporate Marketing Communications. She also served as the 
     corporation's Secretary.
       Judy lived a full and engaging life as a champion for her 
     community, leaving an indelible imprint. She served on the 
     boards of directors and in leadership positions for many 
     nonprofit, civic and educational entities, lending her 
     gracious and genuine leadership style and skills to each 
     organization. In 2006, she was pressed into replacement 
     service as chairman for the United Way of the Midlands 
     campaign and helped to raise $9.5 million. She worked 
     tirelessly and shared her passion for connecting people and 
     ideas with the United Way of the Midlands, the Central 
     Carolina Community Foundation, the South Carolina Campaign to 
     Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Trinity Housing Corporation, 
     EngenuitySC, SC Launch, the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, 
     Columbia College and the South Carolina Governor's School for 
     Science and Mathematics, as well as many other organizations.
       Judy was especially known and appreciated throughout the 
     state as a mentor, cheerleader and champion to countless 
     people from all walks of life for whom she served as an 
     inspiration and role model. She always valued kindness and 
     often would wake up early in the morning and ask her husband, 
     ``Who can I help today?'' She believed that if you put 
     yourself out there and convince others to join in, meaningful 
     differences can be made with only modest efforts to improve 
     people's lives. For colleagues and friends alike, Judy took 
     it as a personal responsibility and challenge to find ways to 
     lift people up and to help them to realize their untapped 
     potential. She did this because it was an important part of 
     who she was. It was never a job requirement.
       A recipient of numerous awards and accolades for her 
     professional and philanthropic efforts, in 2010, the Girl 
     Scouts of South Carolina Mountains to Midlands recognized her 
     as a Woman of Distinction. In 2011, Insurance Networking News 
     (INN) named her one of six nationally recognized Women in 
     Insurance Leadership winners. In 2014, Judy received the 
     prestigious Humanitarian of the Year award from the United 
     Way of the Midlands.
       Her family wishes to express its deep and heartfelt thanks 
     to the caring and loving staff at South Carolina Oncology 
     Associates in Columbia, as well as to the other health 
     professionals who contributed to her care over the past year.
       At Judy's request, the family will hold a brief reception 
     for her friends and colleagues on Thursday, December 15 from 
     4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the new United Way of the Midlands 
     Center at 1818 Blanding Street in downtown Columbia, South 
     Carolina. A private, family interment service will be held 
     later in Mansfield, Ohio. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street 
     Chapel, is assisting the family.
       In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be 
     made to the United Way of the Midlands Legacy Fund, the 
     Central Carolina Community Foundation, Columbia College South 
     Carolina, and The Northern Fund at Ohio Northern University.

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