Kevin Alan Davis

1965 - 2021

Cottonwood Heights, UTKevin Alan Davis, our favorite person in the entire world, passed away on December 5, 2021, after a valiant 9-month battle with glioblastoma multiforme, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. He passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his adoring family.

Kevin is survived by his best friend and wife: Denyse "DeeDee" Louise Davis, mother: Lola Gay Davis, mother-in-law: Patricia Jean Zappe, brother: Russell David Davis, children: Wyatt, Clayton (Kaitlin), Holly, and Luke, and his granddaughter: Cleo.

Kevin was born on May 6, 1965, to Lola Gay Davis and Donald Glenn Davis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A child of a military family, Kevin spent many of his early years traveling across the United States. Eventually, his family settled in San Antonio, Texas. It was there, at the age of 14, that Kevin met his very best friend, DeeDee Davis. The two met on the first day of high school in home room as they were seated next to one another because they shared the same last name. A National Merit Scholar, Kevin received a full scholarship to attend the University of Texas where he received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. A week after graduation, he and DeeDee were married on a rainy day in San Antonio on May 30, 1987, at the Kelly Air Force Base Chapel. The pair left Texas and moved to Princeton, New Jersey, where Kevin completed his engineering doctorate degree in mechanical aerospace engineering at Princeton University. While at Princeton, Kevin and DeeDee developed close friendships with other families in the program, a group of friends they call "our Princeton Family." Kevin cherished the friendships he made at Princeton for the remainder of his life. In 1995, Kevin and DeeDee moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where Kevin began working at Reaction Engineering International (REI). After several years of working at REI, Kevin became part owner of the company. Kevin was extremely passionate about his work and deeply valued, respected, and loved each of his REI co-workers. His work brought him great fulfillment, and he enjoyed every moment for nearly 27 years until his passing.

Kevin was widely known in his community for his hard work, quick wit, eagerness to learn, and devotion to the success of others. He and DeeDee loved getting involved in their children's activities. The pair served on the Brighton Little League Football Board for several years. Additionally, much of their spare time was dedicated to the Brighton Wrestling program. Kevin volunteered countless hours to Brighton fundraising, tournaments, and the booster club. He enjoyed nothing more than coercing his children into watching various wrestling events and was an insatiable fan of the Penn State wrestling team. As Kevin's health worsened, his desire to remain informed on every match was unchanged. Kevin also enjoyed playing basketball, hiking, traveling, watching football, playing pool and horseshoes with his friends, and dispatching weeds without prejudice in his back lawn.

Kevin bettered the lives of countless people, many of whom appreciated the discipline and enthusiasm with which he lived every day of his life. He was a wonderful friend, neighbor, and mentor to all. A deep thinker, he insisted that exhaustive research into the manufacturing of a toaster was necessary before purchasing the device. He taught us to continue to seek knowledge and to constantly work to raise yourself and your community to new heights. In the words of one of Kevin's closest friends, "he was never petty, he was always honest, and an easy friend to everyone." We all love him dearly, will miss him tremendously, and remain nothing but grateful that he was ours.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, December 19, 2021, at Cannon Mortuary, 2460 E Bengal Blvd, Cottonwood Heights, Utah from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. The Davis family invites all who know and love him to attend and share their memories of Kevin.

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Published by Deseret News from Dec. 9 to Dec. 10, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for Kevin Davis

Sponsored by Cannon Mortuary.

5 Entries

Ryan Wayment

March 14, 2023

A belated goodbye to my childhood friend, Kevin. I only found out recently that he had passed. We knew each other from the age of seven all the way through high school. Kind of lost touch after that.

We went on a many camp-outs together, and had epic joke battles.

When I was a kid, I practically lived in the treetops of the tall South Texas oaks. It was a secret world that very few people could enjoy with me. Kevin could not only keep up with me climbing and jumping from tree to tree, but he was the only other human besides me, ever, who could get to the top of one particularly tall tree way above the housetops, crawl out a certain branch cluster, and use body weight to make it all dip down, down, down, as you went out, out, out a certain branch until it got close enough to the ground to easily drop down to the middle of the yard.

My favorite memories of Kevin are when we would just sit around, lazily talking about everything and nothing in particular while skipping stones or getting rained on or cooking around a fire.

To his family, I am so, so sorry. It´s not fair that you have to go on without him in this life. Hoping and praying for a joyful reunion by and by.

Frederik and Karen Dissel

May 17, 2022

Hello Dee Dee and Family,
Karen and I were heart-broken to hear of Kevin's illness and passing. WE didn't know until January. Months have passed by, but we hope you know of our love for your family. We hope that in many ways you have felt the support of those around you and those of us from afar. We live in Mesa, Arizona now and miss many associations that we have in Utah. It's been five years now that we have lived in the desert.
Kevin is a great man and he will always be that. We delight in the many memories we have of your family growing up across the street. When you moved up the street we were still close. There are a million things one could say and none of them covers just this: We love you and send you our deepest condolences and sympathies and wishes that you'll be blessed with tender mercies and you move ahead.
Hugs, Frederik and Karen Gasparac Dissel

Faithful Blessings Bouquet - VASE INCLUDED

Kathleen, Stacey and Susan

Sent Flowers

Thomas & Hope Abram

December 12, 2021

May your hearts soon be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times together as you celebrate a life well lived.

Terry Wall, Newcastle,Australia

December 10, 2021

I was saddened and surprised to learn of Kevins passing. We bumped into each other at conferences, talked science, and enjoyed so many conversations. I will miss his friendly smile as we recognised each other, and convey my sincere wishes to his family and colleagues at REI.

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