http://www.dailytrojan.com/article.d...udent.01c.html
Student killed in car fire over winter break
Friends of 22-year-old Jack Davies held a memorial service in his honor on Sunday
By SCOTT MARTINDALE
Staff Writer
Jack Davies, a senior majoring in international relations, died Dec. 19 in a car fire outside his family's townhouse in Houston. He was 22.
Authorities discovered the badly burned body in a Chevrolet Corvette belonging to Davies' father. The vehicle had caught on fire near a west Houston condominium complex at about 4:30 a.m., the Houston Chronicle reported.
"It looks like the car was left idling, and he was sleeping or resting," Houston Police Department investigator Brian Harris told the Chronicle. "The most intense heat was from under the hood—he probably was trapped inside the car."
Friends had dropped off Davies at his Houston townhouse at approximately 2 a.m. It is unclear whether Davies was intoxicated at the time, said Melissa Oxman, Davies' girlfriend of three years and a senior majoring in history.
Davies had planned to spend the night at the townhouse alone. His family lives in a suburb of Houston.
The blaze destroyed several vehicles parked in the area and six townhouses, including the Davies' home. All residents were safely evacuated.
Houston police are still investigating the cause of the fire. They have not ruled out the possibility of a homicide, although no gunshot or stab wounds were found on the body, Oxman said.
"Right now, nobody really knows (what happened)," Oxman said.
Davies' funeral service was held in Houston on Dec. 27. About 20 of Davies' Phi Kappa Psi fraternity brothers traveled to Houston to attend the service.
On Sunday, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, of which Oxman is a member, hosted a memorial service in celebration of Davies' life. About 100 people attended.
"It was stirring," said Brian Murtaugh, a close friend of Davies who spoke at the service. "It was a last goodbye to Jack."
Oxman also spoke to Davies' family and friends gathered in the sorority's living room.
"I don't have answers to why this tragedy happened," Oxman said at the service. "But I know how special Jack was and how blessed I feel to have ever gotten the opportunity to know him and love him like I did."
Davies' friends said words do not adequately describe how much he will be missed.
George Burby, a close friend and a fraternity brother, remembers Davies' strong sense of loyalty.
"When he accepted you as a friend, he was very loyal," said Burby, a senior majoring in international business.
Burby said that during his sophomore year, he had difficulty mastering the material for a philosophy midterm. Davies came to his rescue.
"Jack was really smart," Burby said. "We stayed up all night, and we discussed (the material) until I understood it. He was always willing to lend a hand."
Murtaugh, a fraternity brother and a senior majoring in business administration, remembers Davies' upbeat attitude.
"He was always in a good mood, and that was one of the things that made people gravitate toward him," said Murtaugh. "He would hang out with everyone. He was very accepting, not judgmental."
Murtaugh spent many nights playing music with Davies at their fraternity house.
"He played guitar. I played drums," Murtaugh said. "There were a lot of fun nights playing music."
Kyle Ross, Davies' roommate last semester, described Davies as somewhat unique in his ways.
"He would sometimes party and sometimes watch movies all night," said Ross, a junior majoring in international relations. "His favorite meal was a mixed-up burger at Chanos."
But Ross emphasized that Davies did very well in school.
"He knew when to work and when to play," Ross said. "He excelled in pretty much everything he did."
Davies would have graduated from USC in May.
"He probably would have liked to have traveled and gotten a master's degree in something like international affairs," Oxman said.
Davies, however, often joked about his post-college plans. Oxman said that when she questioned Davies about his future plans, he would reply, "Mel, I'm going to be a rock star."
Davies was friendly to everyone, even casual acquaintances. Jessica Murphy, who met Davies as a freshman in Pardee Tower, said he always waved to her when he passed her on campus, long after they had lost touch.
"(Usually) you pretend the person doesn't exist, but he didn't do that — rare, I think, for college," Murphy said.
"He didn't care about what other people thought. He was not Mr. Cool. He was just being a decent person everyday.
22 Year Old Jack Davies (Cal Delta) Enters the Chapter Eternal
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