Fred Sheldon Davis

Fred was born in Des Moines, Iowa on July 29, 1942, to Lincoln and Virginia (Stubbs) Davis. He spent his childhood in Des Moines, learning the value of hard work at an early age. At eight, he began helping with the hay on his grandpa’s farm, and by the time he was nine he was delivering the newspaper twice a day and working as a caddy on a local golf course. Fred later moved to Oregon, where he graduated from Pacific High School, a few miles from Port Orford. Fred worked in the plywood mill in Springfield for 20 years. After leaving the mill, he began working in the Williams Bakery, which supplied bread to Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. He worked there for 25 years, and became proficient in every position during his time there. Fred spent eight winters in Sun City West, Arizona, escaping the cold Oregon weather and enjoying a warmer climate. Fred moved to Colorado to join his future bride, Bonnie L. Peters, and they were married on December 4, 2014, in Grand Junction.

Fred was a member of the Monument Valley Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and enjoyed talking to others about God’s good promises for mankind in the near future. He enjoyed watching football; his favorite teams to root for were the Oregon Ducks and Denver Broncos. Fred was a simple man with a warm, inviting presence and a kind heart. He will be dearly missed.

His survivors include his beloved wife, Bonnie L. Davis; sons, Mike Davis of Renton, Washington, Shane Davis of Springfield, Oregon, and Shaun Davis of Seattle, Washington; brother, Jerry (Betty) Still of Eugene, Oregon; sisters, Kirsten (Rich) of Eugene, Oregon, and Jo Anne of Vacaville, California; two grandchildren, Jasmin and Jake; and one great-grandchild, Lincoln.

A service of remembrance will be held on Saturday, January 5 at 2:00 pm at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 2334 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81505.

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to World Wide Work 2334 H Road Grand Junction, CO 81505.

An excerpt from the Biographies of the Class of 1960- written by Fred Davis in 2000 for their 40th reunion…

I came to Pacific High for my junior year. I came from a large school and a large city, Des Moines, Iowa. I didn’t know anyone or anything about this place and I was very much afraid of being an outcast. I guess I did everything I could to make my fears come true, but I soon found that even the most popular kids there were willing to treat me like a friend. I soon loved the ocean and the mountains and forest and the real freedom that can be found only in a small, wild place like Port Orford.

I thought I would stay there forever, but the Columbus Day storm and the foolishness of youth brought an end to my employment and so I ended up at Rosburo Plywood in Springfield where I stayed for 30 years.

I married a great girl named Sandy and we had three sons in less than two years. I molded my sons into all the things I ever wanted to be but could not. I coached their Little League teams and some school teams up till high school. Baseball, football, basketball, and track & field. Even ping pong and chess. I insisted they be the best at everything they did. They were all District athletes, class Valedictorians, and popular around school. I guess I tried so hard to be a good father that I failed to be a good husband. Sandy left after 14 years. My life collapsed. I made the classic mistakes, including a short term “rebound” relationship, before finally getting back on track with my present wife of 15 years.

I left Rosburo after 30 years and spent a few months in Tacoma and Spokane, but hated that, so came back to Springfield and went to work at Williams Bakery where I am presently and will remain till retirement.

Hobby wise, I have been a motorcycle racer, Golden Gloves boxer, coach, marathon runner, DJ, playwright, actor, director, and producer of Armature Stage.