Dick Davis

1932 - 2018

Dick Dexter Davis passed away in Lafayette, Colo. Dec. 31, 2018 after a long illness. He was 86. He was born Dec. 31, 1932 in Doyle, Okla. to William Franklin Davis and Bonnie Bernisse Littrell Davis. He graduated from high school and attended college in Oklahoma. Dick served as a radio-technology instructor for the U.S. Air Force from 1952-57. He married Erika E. Erlebach in Kaufbeuren, West Germany on Feb. 2, 1957. They enjoyed each other's company immensely, raising a family and later traveling the United States and Europe together for many years after his retirement. Dick went to work for the National Bureau of Standards -- now NIST -- in Boulder, Colo. in 1968. His career highlights include the design of numerous innovations foundational to today's technology, including the creation of closed captioning services for the hearing impaired, for which he and his team received an Emmy Award. Dick is survived by his wife Erika, of Lafayette; a daughter, Susan Davis of Happy Valley, Ore.; a son, Ralph Eugene Davis of Mountain View, Calif.; two sisters, Mary Butler and Anne Ashley, of Choctaw, Okla.; and four grandchildren. Private family services and burial will be held at a later date in Oregon. Memorial contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, boulderhumane.org or 2323 55th St., Boulder, CO 80301.