Richard "Rick" Rice Davis

LCDR USN (Ret) Richard “Rick” Rice Davis passed away peacefully on April 11, 2022, at the age of 76 in Annapolis, MD. He battled and odd array of medical issues in the last month or so but kept strong and never lost his gregarious personality or his sense of humor. Those that knew him also know that he maintained his quick wit and succeeded in having the hospital and rehab staff in stitches with his jokes and sarcasm. “Don’t Give Up the Ship!”

Rick was preceded in death by his parents Gordon and Helene Davis and his beloved dog Mondo. Rick is survived by his two children, Scott Davis and his spouse Susanna Cunningham and Karin Thompson and her spouse Mark Thompson, his 4 grandchildren, Morgan Davis, Wyatt Davis, Georgia Thompson, and Ty Thompson, his brother and two sisters, Gordon Davis, Jr. and his spouse Olympia, Jacqui Johnston and her spouse Dennis, and Adelaide (Dee) Davis and her spouse Suronda Gonzalez.

As a proud graduate of the United States Naval Academy, class of 1967, Rick proved to himself and his family that pure grit and determinations paid off. Rick was lucky to even make it to the USNA. Many may not know that as a child he broke his leg, was in a full lower body cast for months and it was thought that he might never walk again. Then, after receiving his appointment to the Academy, he failed the vision part of the physical assessment. Not to be deterred, his mother demanded the waiver form that was so old and unused that the paper had yellowed. It’s lost to history if it was the eye exercises he started after the first physical or if it was the unlikely waiver that got him past that hurdle, but the end result was that he persevered and started his USNA journey in the summer of 1963. During the next four years he cemented friendships and bonds that would last the rest of his life. His 32nd Company and Class of ’67 classmates created some of his most cherished memories and continued joy at so many class functions.

A veteran of the Vietnam war, Rick retired from the Navy in Dec of 1988. While on active duty in the Navy he deployed on three sea tours, two to the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War. He did five years of instructor duty at Amphibious Base Little Creek teaching gunfire support and five years of joint service with the Army in Korea. In the later years of his Navy career, he was a USO liaison officer where he coordinated tour dates with NFL cheerleaders (rough job) and toured with bands like Cheap Trick and Crosby, Stills, and Nash across Europe. He toured with both the Dallas Cowboys and LA Rams cheerleaders, and even appeared on a television episode of “Real People” in November of 1982 while touring with the Cowboys cheerleaders. Being a Cowboys fan, that tour was extra special for him. He briefly worked for Ford in their F-150 engineering division and was also a talent agent evaluating and signing musical acts. He most recently retired from the Montgomery County (MD) Police Department in Jan of 2010, where he had been the County’s Juvenile Diversion Coordinator for over 9 years.

In 2012 he moved to Annapolis to “Live the good life in crabtown!”. The unfortunate irony is that he developed an allergy to crab late in life and was no longer able to enjoy the indulgence that he loved. He thoroughly loved being retired in Annapolis, close to ’67 Classmates and the USNA. Rick was very active in alumni events and a diehard supporter of all Navy sports, especially Navy Football. Only COVID kept him from Navy home football games in 2020. Short of that, not rain, cold, or any other form of miserable conditions would keep him away from the tailgate party in the parking lot, where he always brought his famous dip, or out of the stadium until the clock read 00:00 at the end of the 4th quarter.

Rick was a very kind soul that would help anyone in need, from collecting mail and newspapers for neighbors less mobile than he was, helping to shovel snow from their driveways (and Rick hated the snow), or staying late to help with the cleanup at a home game tailgate, he never gave a second thought to helping out where he could. He loved to start his days with a cup of coffee and the crossword puzzle and probably knew thousands of actually clean four-letter words. He loved to share old sea stories from his time in the Navy, bowl in the local league, play golf with family and friends or dream of his next vacation. He loved to take a cruise vacation, just be back out at sea. His favorite vacation spot was Maui, Hawaii where he would swear to you the air was just “softer” than anywhere else on the planet.

Rick will be interred in the USNA Columbarium where he can forever look out over the Severn River and College Creek.

Funeral arrangements are being coordinated through the John M. Taylor Funeral Home in Annapolis, MD. Additional information regarding services for Rick will be posted on their website soon. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Rick’s name to the USNA Alumni Association 1967 AA&F Alumni Center Fund. His goal was to be a “Plank Owner” in the new Alumni Center.