‘First Lady of Raider Nation’ dies at age 93
Carol Davis, the mother of Raiders owner Mark Davis and affectionately referred to as the “First Lady of Raider Nation,” died Friday afternoon, the club has announced. She was 93.
In honor of his mother, Mark Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch at Allegiant Stadium at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
Carol Davis and Al Davis, the late owner of the Raiders, were married in 1954 and remained together until Al Davis died in October 2011. In honor of her husband, Carol Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch at Allegiant Stadium for the first time during the stadium’s inaugural game on Sept. 21, 2020.
Carol Davis remained a co-owner of the Raiders until her death.
“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,” the Raiders said in a statement. “If Al was the heart of the Raiders, Carol was the soul.”
Carol Davis, referred to as “Carolee” by her husband, provided support to the Raiders during their 1967 AFL championship and three Super Bowl wins. She presented former Raiders coach Tom Flores, who led the team to victory in Super Bowl 15 and 18, when he was enshrined to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
Davis suffered a heart attack and stroke in 1979 that left her in a coma for more than three weeks. Al Davis left the Raiders to be by his wife’s side and remained in the hospital until she recovered.
A private service for Carol Davis will be held in Oakland, California, with plans being made for a celebration of life at a future date. Davis lived in the Bay Area at the time of her death.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
