Remembering Mr. Daryl S. Davis – former FOCH President/CEO

The Friends of Crown Heights Educational Centers, Inc., (FOCH), is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mr. Daryl S. Davis, who retired earlier this year as President and Chief Executive Officer of our agency. He was 69 years old.

Mr. Davis was a career Early Childhood Education specialist. In addition to his expansive experience as a classroom teacher, supervisor and Educational Director, he also worked extensively in the field of Early Childhood Professional Training. As a former Early Childhood Training Services Specialist at the State University of New York (SUNY) Research Foundation, he was instrumental in developing and implementing a statewide training initiative for Early Childhood Centers and Family Day Care Providers across New York State. He was also a former Adjunct Instructor with the New York University Extension Division, where he was responsible for training future teachers and parents in the most effective approaches to educating children between the ages of Birth to 7 years old. Mr. Davis was also noted for his service on numerous professional committees and advisory boards, including the New York City Department of Education’s Universal Pre-K Advisory Committee.

Daryl Davis was an alumnus of Oberlin College in Ohio, where he earned the Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a major in Music. He later went on to earn the Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York (CUNY). He was also a member of the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the National Black Child Development Institute and the American Association of Training and Development. In addition to his expertise as a professional educator, Mr. Davis also held the Professional Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music and was a noted artist in the operatic theater, having performed with major orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States. In addition to his 2003 operatic tour de force in the opera X, The Life and Times of Malcolm, he also performed with the Boston and Houston symphonies and at La Fenice in Venice.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of this illustrious colleague and friend and will remember him dearly for the guidance and enduring inspiration that he has left us. We extend our sincerest sympathy to his family and will keep our Friends of Crown Heights community informed of memorial arrangements as they are shared with us by the family.

In this collection of photographs, Mr. Davis is celebrated by colleagues and friends at his retirement ceremony on Wednesday, May 28 th , 2025.

Photo credit: Brendon Emmanuel