Sam Edward Davis

Sam Edward Davis was born on April 18, 1955 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, to Lynn and Eleanor Davis. He grew up on a small farm there, until he and his parents moved up to Washington in the early 60’s.

During his high school years, Sam met Debbie (Shaw) while attending Oroville High School. They were “high school sweethearts”, and eventually married on July 24, 1976. Sam passed away just two days before their 48th wedding anniversary. They raised two children, Nicholas Davis and Amy Davis, and one grandchild, Joseph Davis.

In the summer of 1973, Sam decided that he was ready to enlist in the Navy. Instead of finishing his senior year at OHS, he got his diploma through Skagit Valley College while serving at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Sam served from 1973 – 1977. He was a jet engine mechanic (AD3) in the VAQ-131 squadron and served aboard many aircraft carriers during this time, including cruises on the USS Constellation and USS Saratoga to the West Pacific and Mediterranean. Sam was deployed on a classified mission during the Vietnam War, earning him a National Defense Service Medal. He enjoyed his time in the Navy working on the flight deck, and often reminisced about his service.

Sam was a lifelong learner, and accumulated many degrees and certificates over his career. He attended Spokane Community College, where he earned a degree in Law Enforcement. He later attended Oregon State University, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degrees and Master’s Degrees in multiple disciplines. Upon graduation, Dole Fruit hired him to be a horticulturalist for their Central Washington growers. After working in the fruit industry as a horticulturalist and grower for 14 years, Sam decided to switch careers and teach secondary science as a public school teacher. Sam shared his passion for science with his students until he retired from teaching in 2019.

Sam always had a love for the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, relaxing at the ocean, and especially scuba diving. His love for scuba began while he was in the Navy, and in his retirement, it became his main hobby. His reignited passion for scuba led him to complete his Master Diver and Divemaster certificates (among many others), and he really enjoyed sharing his passion with others and helping them learn to dive. It also allowed him to be a part of close dive community where he formed many great friendships. A love for scuba diving and the ocean was something that Amy and Sam were able to share. Sam always said that while he was diving underwater there was this deep sense of peace and freedom that came with the weightlessness and quiet of soaring in the underwater world exploring sea life.

In the summer of 2023, Sam’s health began to decline. It took his team of doctor’s 9 months before they were able to diagnose him with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a neurodegenerative disease. ALS is a disease that progressively takes away independence and attacks the nerve cells and muscles in the body, taking away the ability to speak, swallow, move, communicate, and breathe. There is currently no cure for ALS. Sam was diagnosed on March 15th. Our family did everything we could to provide care and comfort for him at home, until about two weeks prior to his passing on July 22, 2024. While ALS is a disease that takes away many things, it couldn’t take away the love the Sam had for all of us.

We will be holding a graveside service at noon on September 21, 2024, at Riverview Cemetery in Oroville, WA. Family and friends are invited to come celebrate Sam’s life at this service, and join us at Barbara Shaw’s house for lunch afterwards. We will also be planning (date TBD) to have a celebration of life at the Mukilteo T-Dock dive site with his dive buddies and spread some of his ashes. As a family, we will also be spreading ashes in Maui and at our favorite campsite in Oregon, Beachside State Park.

Sam would want us all to remember him at his best, with a smile on his face. We know he will be missed (and remembered) by many.