James W. Davis

Jack, as he was known to his family and many friends, enlisted in the Navy as World War II was ending in 1945, at the age of 17. He traveled all over the world during his 20 years of active service including China, Japan, Korea, the South Pacific, and the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas. His awards included the Navy Occupation Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. Jack retired as an Electronics Technician with the rank of Chief Petty Officer and continued in the Naval Reserve for 10 more year.

In 1951, Jack was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, north of Chicago, when he met Avi Ellen Hook. They were married a year later on May 21, 1952 at her parent's home in Waukegan, Illinois. Following the wedding, the newlyweds drove to San Diego, California where they bought a house in La Mesa. Their daughter, Janet Lynn, was born in 1953 and son, Randell Warren, in 1954. Although there were several moves the Davis family made while Jack continued his military service, including Alameda, CA and Norfolk, VA, the house in La Mesa was home for 35 years. In 1987, they purchased land in Spring Valley and built a new house looking over the San Diego skyline and Pacific Ocean.

Although he never completed his high school education before joining the Navy, Jack successfully completed a high school GED equivalency test and attended Grossmont College, earning his Associate's Degree in Science in 1968. Following Jack's retirement from the Navy, he started a 2nd career working for Ryan Aeronautical and Cubic Corporation in San Diego as an Electrical Engineer. He retired again in 1991.

Now with free time on his hands, Jack started traveling on many road trips with his wife and mother along the Pacific Coast and various National Parks, with his brother along Route 66, Canada and Alaska, with his daughter, son-in-law and grandkids to Yosemite, Mammoth and Las Vegas, and with his grandson from San Diego to Chicago. He also made it his priority to attend his grandkids basketball, soccer, baseball and softball games and tournaments across California, Arizona and Nevada. Jack loved children and was fondly know as "grandpa" everywhere he went. He was blessed with southern charm, a quick wit and sense of humor and a mischievous smile.

He enjoyed woodworking, turning his garage into a shop where he constructed desks and bookcases and worked on school projects with his grandchildren. Jack also was an avid reader, especially Louis L'Amour westerns and a big fan of John Wayne movies

Jack experienced many health challenges over the years with heart disease, prostate cancer, emphysema and a bowel obstruction; it was his lungs that failed him on Friday morning, February 15, 2013, two weeks shy of his 85th birthday.

Jack was preceded in death by his wife of 37 years, Avi Ellen, and his brother, George Harold Davis. He will be entombed at Greenwood Memorial Park in San Diego, California.

He is survived by his children, Janet and Randy, his grandchildren Daniel James Sheppard (1984), Caitlin Ann Misner-Davis (1985), Sean Michael Misner-Davis (1987), and Lauren Marie Sheppard (1988), son-in-law James Sheppard, granddaughter-in-law Myna Dorr Sheppard, and his two sisters, Doris Burton and Frankie O'Brien along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and special friends.