Richard Dick John Davis

February 17, 1945 - September 12, 2016

Dick Davis passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 71 in Phoenix, AZ. He was born on February 17, 1945 in Panguitch, Utah. He grew up in a small farming and ranching community working with his Dad on the family farm raising sheep and cattle. He also learned carpentry from his grandfather. Although he was born with a heart murmur, he didn’t let that slow him down and led a very active life. In high school he participated in wrestling, student council, Future Farmer’s of America, and was an honor student. Upon graduating high school, he tried to enlist in the military but was turned away due to his heart condition, much to his displeasure. He went on to lead a lifetime of adventure and showed everyone that he could do anything he set his mind to.

Funny story - In high school, General Mills put on a contest for senior high school girls called “Homemaker of Tomorrow”. Richard, as he was known then, happened to be in the classroom when the test was given on topics including how best to cook certain foods, ideal cloth for different clothes, and ideal colors in home decorating. He secretly filled out the test and signed his name as Rachel Davis. He won the contest! When the judges eventually found out that a boy had won the contest they gave the prize to the second runner up much to her chagrin. There are many more stories like this!

After graduating high school he moved to Provo, Utah to attend BYU where he majored in 5 different subjects and finally earned his B.S. degree in geology in 1968. While there, he also became an accomplished high-altitude mountaineer and summited several of the highest mountains in North America. He was an active member of a mountain search and rescue team. He was part of the safety team for the annual “Timp Hike” in Provo where thousands of hikers would hike up to the 11,750 ft summit of Mount Timpanogos in July of each year. As well as participating in the sport, he taught it at BYU in an outdoor recreation class. Each year, he would take his seniors on a trip to climb the highest peak in Mexico, Pico de Orizaba, at 18,490 feet. The climb would be followed by a few days relaxing on the beach. He used to laugh and tell us that after breathing at over 18,000 feet, you could run on the beach forever at sea-level and never lose your breath!

After college, Dick married his 1st wife - Anne, they had 3 lovely children, and he worked as a chemist for US Steel which eventually brought him to Phoenix in 1974. Following US Steel, he worked at Building Products making clay water pipes. Finally, he got into the firearms industry working in a small local gun shop. From there, he moved on to manage Gunsport Centers three stores in Phoenix for several years. In 1986, he went to work for McMillan Fiberglass Gunstocks where he would stay for the next 30 years.

While with the McMillan family, Dick quickly made a name for himself in the firearms community. His vast knowledge of firearms and shooting disciplines made him one of the best “go-to guys” if you had a question about anything firearms related. Each year at the SHOT Show he would meet with his friends in the industry from all around the world. While the show was always a lot of work, he looked forward to it immensely and enjoyed reconnecting with so many of his friends and colleagues.

Not only did he have a vast knowledge of firearms, but he was also an active shooter who participated in many different shooting disciplines during his life. He was an avid hunter all of his life as well as a sportsman. He tried his hand at trap and skeet, silhouette, sportsman team challenge, and bench-rest shooting just to name a few. One of his proudest shooting achievements was setting an official NBRSA World Record at 1000 yards!

Later in life he traveled quite a bit and saw some of the historical locations around the world that always intrigued him in the many books that he read. Yes, he was an avid reader! His bookshelves were always overflowing with books. He traveled to many places in Europe, Asia, Africa, as well as in the US, Canada, and Mexico with friends and family. Traveling was truly one of his great pleasures in life.

Some of Dick’s other lifetime activities and hobbies included being a scoutmaster, engineering all manner of things, amateur photography, art lover, dancing, and too many more to list. He loved telling jokes, pulling pranks, and in general, “agitating” for fun. He was always learning or doing something new and had a seemingly unlimited amount of knowledge about countless topics which he loved to share with everyone. He had an unsatisfiable curiosity and never quit seeking out new adventures and subjects to learn about.

As much as the shooting community will miss him, his family will miss him more. Dick was a loving and much loved son, father, brother, grandpa, uncle, nephew, and cousin who will always be remembered for his humor, kindness and support. He always had a funny story to tell or joke to make you laugh. He looked forward to going home to Utah to visit with his parents, brother, sisters, and the rest of his extended family. The many family gatherings in Phoenix were always a favorite time where he loved being with his children and grandchildren. He will forever be loved, missed, and remembered by all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Our Dad always had a hearty hello for everyone, a joyful twinkle in his eyes, and great love for those he cherished. He lived his life with intention, joy, curiosity, and much humor. We know he is enjoying a long awaited reunion with his Mom, Dad, and other passed relatives and friends. He means more to us than we can ever hope to adequately express in words. We love you Dad!

Dick was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Winona Sevy. He is survived by his children and their spouses- Duncan (Wynter) Davis, Jana Davis (Bill Dambrova), and Tom (Veronica) Davis, grandchildren - Megan, Emma, Dereck, and Natasha, and four siblings - Lorraine (Richard) Henry, Jolene (Richard) Costigan, Arlene (Barry) Davenport, and Ken (Annette) Sevy.