Roger Neal Davis

Roger Neal Davis, age 67, of Moreno Valley, California, went to be with our Lord, Wednesday, March 18, 2015, in Moreno Valley, California. He was born on December 9, 1947 in Mancelona, Michigan to the late Donald Davis and the late Eva Massey. He was the loving husband of Yong Davis, and loving father to Daniel Davis and Jennifer (Davis) Watlington. Roger served his country honorably in the Navy and Army, and retired after 20 years of dedicated service. He also was a dedicated employee as a public administrator for over 15 years with the city of San Bernardino. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He will be greatly missed and forever loved.

Those left to mourn his passing, but cherish his memory are his loving wife, Yong Davis; his two children, Daniel Davis and Jennifer (Davis) Watlington; his four grandchildren, Shalondra Davis, Malik Davis, Jeremy Watlington and Abigail Watlington; sister, Anita Van Dam and brother, Charles Davis; along with many cherished extended family and friends.

Roger is a veteran with over 20 years of service to his country combined in the Army and Navy. He credits his service in the US Army with the introduction to the love of his life, Yong Ae, while he was stationed in South Korea in the fall of 1968. They married in the summer of 1970 in South Korea. He welcomed his first born son, Daniel Lee in the fall of 1974 and completed his enlistment in the Army in 1976 as a Staff Sergeant. He was known to be a "stickler" about Army regulations and while he may have very rarely not had an immediate answer, he would most definitely find it for you in a timely manner. He is credited with bringing the first platoon of the Women's Army Corps to a firing range to qualify in marksmanship because "every Soldier was to qualify in marksmanship," male or female. He may have enraged many a misogynist, but he believed in equality, no matter how they may have viewed him. Although he "served his time," he didn't feel like his service to his country was quite complete. He enlisted into the US Navy in the winter of 1976 and was stationed in Lemoore Naval Air Station, CA until 1981. He remained a Non Commissioned Officer until the spring of 1983 in Naval Air Base Coronado, CA when he accepted his Commission as an Ensign, from Senior Chief Petty Officer, in the US Navy. He also welcomed his daughter, Jennifer Michelle in the summer of 1983 and shortly after was stationed in Yongsan, Republic of Korea, with the Headquarters of the 8th Army. He completed his Commissioned service in early winter 1988 and retired from the US Navy honorably as a Lieutenant. He put down his family's roots in Moreno Valley, CA in 1988 where he has remained.

Shortly after retirement, he started his Civil Service work with the Cities of Perris and San Bernardino. He also obtained an Associates Degree in Business Administration while working full time to provide for his family. He set good examples for his children proving that hard work and dedication to the job at hand pays off. He would tell his children that he learned responsibility from a paper route as a child, the value of hard work from summers spent with his grandfather in Michigan, and while possessions can always be replaced, no one can take away your efforts. Most importantly, he taught his children by example that he loved his wife with a love unmeasured, family comes first, take responsibilities for your actions, let no one hinder your dreams, love and serve your country if the desire is found in your heart, and live honorably. He loved cars, fishing, family road trips, and turning up some Elvis to dance in the kitchen on the weekends. He paid tribute to this nation's heroes past and present, not just every Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, but every day. He created a family tradition of attending the ceremonies at the Riverside National Cemetery to remind us that the price of freedom is not free; where he will be laid to rest.

Arrangements are entrusted to Miller-Jones Moreno Valley Mortuary, 23618 Sunnymead Blvd., Moreno Valley, California. Committal service will be at Riverside National Cemetery at 9:45 AM, Wednesday, April 1, 2015, staging area # 4.