Donald Lee Davis' Obituary
Donald Davis passed away peacefully, at the age of 70 years after a struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.
Everyone who knew Don knew that he was an extremely kind, loving, gentle, and peaceful person, and that he loved his family very much. His family and friends meant more to him that anything else in the world. Don was a true friend who was always compassionate, generous, and loyal.
Don was a true renaissance man. He had a brain for science and a passion for language and arts. Don was a voracious reader with his extensive library of books and magazines. Don saw the wonder in all things and was able to put words to it. He could talk about any subject. People were captivated by his charm, goofy sense of humor, and interesting stories.
Don was born and raised in Los Angeles. He knew Los Angeles like it was the palm of his hand. Don was known to be independent and adventurous during his childhood which carried over to his adult life. Don’s love for electronics served him well in repairing radios, televisions, and cars. Don enjoyed his ancestral roots, especially those from Howard and Salida, Colorado.
Don had fond memories of his days in the Air Force when he was stationed in Warner Robins, Georgia near Macon and Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, CA. He absolutely loved the big B-52 planes.
Don received his Bachelor’s degree in engineering with a minor in literature from Cal State Long Beach. He received his Masters in Business Administration from UCLA.
Don worked as a mechanical engineer for an aerospace company, designing parts for space travel. At work, Don had a reputation for being a straight shooter with lots of integrity. He believed in practical and manufacturable engineering.
Don had a big heart for cats. He cared deeply for his cats, adopting stray cats or cats from Peter Zippi Memorial Fund.
Don enjoyed the arts. He was a fan of live theatre and often attended plays, musicals, operas, and music concerts.
Don loved music and was into Avant Garde rock and jazz. Don would often tell his wife Linda that they needed to see these big acts while the acts were still around. He had an extensive record collection to which he was constantly adding.
Don was passionate about cars, especially high-performance cars. He enjoyed driving them as well as working on them.
Don would find peace and solitude in the desert. He would venture alone into remote areas and sleep out under the stars. Don drove to Alaska and explored the abandoned mining towns, saw the northern lights, saw beautiful vistas and wild animals, and ate with the Native Alaskans. Don spent many summers traveling and camping with his family and friends. Don enjoyed fine cigars, good Scotch whisky, and Port wine with his friends. Don had a refined palate. He truly enjoyed a great meal.
Later in life, Don found true happiness when he met Linda. With her he found love, family, and a home for 31 years. He loved Linda’s daughter, Christina, like his own and was very proud of her. Don enjoyed traveling to the East Coast and Europe with Linda and Christina when Christina attended enrichment student programs. Don made sure that both of them had support, fun, laughter, and every opportunity available to them.
Don enjoyed retirement after retiring in 2012. He re-engineered his life to deal with Parkinson’s disease. He battled the disease with the most amazing grace, bravery, and strength. He lived everyday with positivity and a determination not to let the disease keep him from doing the things he loved. He kept busy with family and friends, music concerts, amateur HAM radio, working on the genealogy of two big meandering families and buying desert land- “Got sand?”
Don was the beloved husband of Linda, proud stepfather of Christina (Adrian-her husband), proudest grandfather of Sophia, brother of Marcelle and Glen, uncle of Donald, nephew of Aunt Donna, and cousin of many loved ones.
Predeceased by his father John “Jack”, mother Annamae, Aunt Ione, Aunt Dorothy, and mother-in-law Mary.
He will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts. A celebration of life will be held at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary, 4300 Imperial Ave., San Diego, CA 92113. Funeral services and burial at Greenwood will be announced at a later time.
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