Don was born to Joseph and Icy Pearl Davis on September 19, 1943 in Akron, Ohio. He was the youngest of four including his brother, Bob, and two sisters, Louise and Lois Jean. Don graduated from Globe High School in 1961 and went onto earn a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University, while working, getting married, and starting his family. He continued onto become a registered engineer. Don spent his career designing bridges all over Arizona…so as you drive across one, big or small, you can think of Don because he just may have been the one who designed it. While he spent his career designing bridges, he spent his personal life building them (with family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and anyone who crossed his path).
Don met his wife, Pat Mohler, in 1959 at Globe High School. They dated off and on but stayed close friends. After high school, they both had moved to the Valley and reconnected. They were married in 1965 and shared a loving marriage of 54 years. They had three children, Kevin, Traci, and Joanna. They moved to their home on Dunbar Drive in 1971. This home has become a second home to so many over the years. They shared joy, laughter, tears, family room games, and a multitude of pictures in front of the fireplace with any and all who entered their lives. This home has been a blessing in its location well, as so many of their neighbors have been there all these years for each other through celebrations and difficult times alike.
Don loved teaching and modeling God’s word to his family and many, many students and adults; sharing special times with family, neighbors and friends (camping, going to the lake, fishing, cul-de-sac Christmas parties, the condo at Oceanside, tending to his yard, and helping his neighbors with anything they needed); perfectly wrapped gifts with lots of tape lined up evenly; The Ten Commandments; Ben Hur; anything Harry Potter; ASU sports; and just being in his and Pat’s favorite place…their home!
Don was not a fan of eating ice cream with the little wooden spoons; pictures hanging crooked; loud music (although he did love to sing old hymns and songs on the radio, or whatever popped into his head); or towels left on the floor after your shower.
God, his wife, their children and their families always came first and were at the very core of his soul. His family was glad to share their dad with so many of their friends and those who needed a “second dad,” a mentor, or words of wisdom. God gave him many gifts and he shared them with everyone. He was especially kind when someone was struggling. One person who remembered a hard time in his youth wrote to the family, “He talked with me, then told me I was always welcome in his home.”
To all of those who knew Don, he touched their lives. He was a helper, a mentor, a friend, a teacher, a husband, a father, a father-in-law, and grandfather who was an example in all aspects of his life. Don was a man of great faith, whose heart was with Jesus, who lived his life in such a manner, that, although he was taken from us here, there is no doubt that he is now with our Lord and Savior.
Don is survived by his wife, Pat, their children and their spouses, Kevin and Lisa, Traci and Ron, Joanna and Mark, grandson/son, Mason, and their grandchildren, Austin, Brooklyn, Avery, Caden, and Tessa; along with his siblings, Bob, Louise, and Lois Jean and several nieces and nephews. He is greatly missed.
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