Robert Scott Davis was born to Robert Vincent and Leota Scott Davis, on December 18, 1926, in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Robert spent the first few years of his life in the Yukon Territory and Alaska, before moving to Washington State. Robert grew up during the great depression. To make ends meet, both his mother and father took jobs wherever they could be found. This meant that Robert attended eight different schools before graduating from high school in Grandview, Washington. After graduation in 1944, he enlisted in the United States Merchant Marines and was stationed in New York City. While boarding ship with his tote bag he broke an ankle. He spent several weeks recuperating in a hospital, and then several months in a cast. By the time his foot had healed, WWII was over, and Robert returned to civilian life.
He entered the University of Washington in 1946. While at the UW he got a job as a dance instructor with Arthur Murray Dance Studios. There he met his future wife Rosemary Basta, also a dance instructor at Arthur Murray. In 1950, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Rosemary and Bob married in 1950. In 1951, Robert took a job with the Seattle Post Intelligencer. He worked for the Post Intelligencer as its Travel Editor for eighteen years. As Travel Editor, he had a regular column that appeared in the Sunday paper. In 1970 he left the Post Intelligencer, and took a job as Vice President of Marketing with Westours, a cruise line that ran ships from Seattle, up the inside passage to Alaska, and throughout French Polynesia. Westours was eventually bought out by Holland America, and Robert returned to the Seattle Post Intelligencer as Travel Editor. He worked at the Post Intelligencer for several more years, but was laid off when Post Intelligencer merged with the Seattle Times in a joint operating agreement. Robert then worked as an independent businessman, travel consultant and writer, until he retired.
Robert and Rosemary had three children: Scott, Gina, and Dominica. In 1954, the family moved into a home in Ballard in Seattle, where they lived for 20 years. The family home in Ballard was always full of books and music. For nearly a decade, Robert and Rosemary participated in the Great Books Foundation’s weekly series of book discussions. The books were always lying about the house. In 1955, they purchased their first television set. The family regularly watched the Walt Disney Show, Bonanza, and Maverick. Around 1958, they purchased a “Hi-fi” console which played vinyl record albums. Some of the first records they purchased were the soundtrack to South Pacific, Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall, and Carmina Burana.
Robert had a lifelong passion for dance. In the 1950s, Robert and Rosemary went to the Swedish Club where they put their ballroom dancing skills on display. Later Robert developed an interest in Scandinavian dancing, which he continued well into his eighties.
Robert had ambitions as a writer that extended beyond journalism. He wrote several screenplays under the pseudonym “Sycamore Jones”, one for the television show Maverick. It likely would have been produced but for the fact that James Garner quit the show.
At the end of Robert’s life, he developed Alzheimer’s and moved into assisted living at Norse Home on Phinney Ridge. After 30 years of separation, Rosemary moved into Norse Home with Robert into a shared living space. To the surprise of some, it worked rather well. Even though both their memories were failing, they were able to support one another at the end of their lives, with one remembering what the other forgot, and both forgetting past grievances.
Robert will be remembered as a man of principles who always tried to do the right thing and often succeeded. He was the last of a generation, and he will be missed by many family members and friends.
Robert was cremated and his remains were inurned at Cedar Lawns Memorial Park and Funeral Home in Redmond, Washington. He is survived by his three children. You are invited to leave your memories of Robert on this page.
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