Perry Eric Davis, Jr.
1919-2018
Perry Eric Davis Jr. passed away peacefully on January 7, 2018 in Boise, Idaho at the age of 98. He was preceded in death by his wife, Paula. He is survived by his three children: P. Eric (Nancy) of Boise, Nancy Ringenburg (Fred) and Barbara Lubert (Dennis), both of Washington State.
His five grandchildren, Michael Ringenburg (Severine), Jennifer Lubert Landvoigt (Tim), Claire Lubert, Lisa Davis Campbell (Ryan) and Alec Davis were fortunate to have had their loving, supportive and influential Grandpa well into their adulthood. They and his five great-grandchildren will carry on his legacy.
Dad left a wake of friends and acquaintances over the years who have been honored to know him and drew encouragement from his stories, kind words, sage wisdom, enthusiasm for each day, and noticing all the while, his graceful aging. If you did his taxes, cut his hair, delivered his paper, taught him piano, served him Sunday brunch, or took care of any medical aspect of his life, you probably have one or several of his small acrylic painting 'gifts'.
Perry, aka 'Dave', was born in Fairbury, Nebraska in 1919 and spent his childhood years in Denver, Colorado, growing up with his natural priority to be out in the Rockies; hiking, camping, skiing, fishing. He excelled in track and field at South Denver High and ultimately graduated from Purdue University in 1941 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
In July 1942 he married his Purdue sweetheart, Paula Zwierlein, in a small chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Soon after, he joined the US Naval Reserve as an Ensign; completing training in Aeronautical Engineering at Cal Tech. In 1944, Perry was assigned to the USS Currituck, AV-7, out of Pearl Harbor, which was a tender for the fleet of Martin Mariner seaplanes of Patrol Bombing Squadron 20. His responsibility during the war then became one of leading crews in keeping all VPB 20 aircraft combat-ready from sea-based stations in the Philippine Islands. In 1948 he was appointed Lieutenant Sr. Grade while attached to the Cleveland Naval Reserve unit.
After the war, Perry and Paula ('Polly') settled in Paula's hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. There were existing century-old family ties and relatives in Cleveland, and new friendships that developed, which all together fostered wonderful, deep bonds between cousins, neighbors and family friends that last to this day, spanning the world.
As a Professional Engineer, Perry helped advance the growth and development of refrigeration and air conditioning for use in large commercial buildings through sales and engineering roles with Westinghouse and Frigidaire. Ultimately, he co-owned a major sub-contracting firm in Lorain, Ohio, Merchants Refrigeration, Inc. The company designed, installed and serviced complex HVAC systems for a vast array of commercial and industrial buildings across Northern Ohio.
Perry was an avid outdoorsman and bow hunter all his life, and he instilled his love of nature in every family member. So many 'true stories' abound of adventurous hikes, camping trips and cabin stays INCLUDING: soggy sleeping bags, endless muddy roads, cold outhouses, cooking over campfires, scary bats, snipe hunts, sneaky mice, treasure hunts, rattlesnakes, deer tracking, wild turkey, swimming, canoeing and sailing on little Bimini Lake. It was NEVER too cold or too rainy to venture out into the wild. "Smell that air!" Dad would say.
Upon retirement, he and Paula moved to Dubois, Pa. where they built a home in Treasure Lake and enjoyed being near game lands, woods and waters and were active in the community. Perry took art courses at an extension of Penn State; adding a studio with pottery wheel and kiln to their home. The couple travelled extensively during retirement and was always off on new adventures. In 2000, they moved to Boise to be near family. Perry kept painting and began taking piano lessons and enjoyed playing the music of his youth. At age 91 he wrote a book entitled "A Precious Jewel" in which he described the positive attitude with which he approached any challenge or adversity. He continued his outdoor pursuits, music and artwork well into his nineties.
Our family would like to extend sincere gratitude to the entire staff at Plantation Place Assisted Living where Dad resided for the last eight months. Their loving and attentive care was expressed by even Dad himself. Signature Hospice then became involved in conjunction with Plantation Place in the last three weeks of his life. To all of you at Plantation Place and Signature Hospice, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We knew, as did he, that he was in good hands.
Dad will be interned at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery this spring, subject to availability of family. Meanwhile, there will be a Celebration of Life held at Plantation Place Assisted Living, 3921 Kessinger Lane, Boise, 83703 on Friday, February 9, at 1:30 pm.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Boise State University Foundation (memo line: Paula Z. Davis Endowed Nursing Scholarship, Fund HS124), mailed to Boise State University Advancement, 1173 W. University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83706. Attn: Nikki Hanson.