Michael William Davis

Michael (known to family and childhood friends as Mike) was born in Portland, Oregon, at 4:01 p.m. on July 3rd, 1969, to Norman Robert Davis Jr. and Karen Louise Davis. He was the second of three sons preceded by Norman Robert Davis III and followed by Andrew James Davis. His brothers Norm and Andy, remember Michael as being the quiet, yet mischievous brother. His mother Karen would always worry when the children's play went silent. She would find the three brothers taking apart some toy or another in order to make one that was more to their liking. Most likely Michael was at the forefront of this creativity. Michael enjoyed his time as a young boy, reading and drawing, playing with the family Labrador 'Fritz', and perhaps plotting the best way to get a hold of a stash of 4th of July fireworks. Since his father was from Hawaii, and his mother met him on the island of Oahu; the family would take vacation in Waikiki whenever they could afford the trip. During their childhood Norman taught his sons Hawaiian culture and many words from the Hawaiian language, and all three boys shared a deep appreciation for Hawaii. Mike loved the Island, and some of his favorite childhood memories were swimming for hours in the warm tropical ocean water, catching rock crabs, and traveling around the island with his family. When Michael was in middle school his father Norman died of cancer. When Norman became ill the family moved to Hawaii and lived there until the time of his death, before returning to Portland. During his late grade school years, and throughout high school, Michael began his lifelong pursuit of the fine arts; sketching, painting, and sculpting. This all came naturally to Mike, and he was always able to find happiness from his work. His mother married Tavita 'David' Fiu, and he was a great influence on his stepson’s lives, caring for the three boys like his own sons. David was a stabilizing presence in Michael's life, and they shared a strong bond. In 1992, Michael’s mother died of cancer. David continued to be there for the boys during their young adulthood, caring for the family through the tough times after Karen's death. Intelligent and self-motivated, Michael pursued several entrepreneurial careers over the course of his life, including a small business with his close friend Kevin Davis. In the mid-1990s Michael lived in Hawaii, sharing a residence with his aunt, Cynthia Davis. He had a rewarding job working for the Salvation Army with a close childhood friend of his father, Landy 'Bud' Chapman. He relished his time back in the Islands. Michael’s grandfather, Norman Robert Davis Sr., was a Freemason, and Michael joined the Freemasons in 1996 while living in Hawaii. In 2001, after returning to Oregon, Michael was elected the Master Mason for the Milwaukie No. One Hundred and Nine Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The Milwaukie Masonic Lodge is the location for his memorial service. Although Michael had a Masonic ring of his own, he wore his grandfather’s Masonic ring every day. Michael, an avid reader, had an interest in history, lore, and Europe: at one time expressing an interest to friends for living in Europe. He was involved with the Society of Creative Anachronisms, and had a collection of period clothing and weaponry. In true Michael fashion, he would come the various S.C.A outdoor weekend events with a large U-haul rental truck. This truck often contained a full sized elaborately carved Dragon leg dining table, several high backed chairs, a throne, candles and sconces, and perhaps even ye' olde kitchen sink. All of this was housed under a large tent rivaled only by that of the King. Michael would generously bring all of his friends along for the fun. As part of this interest, Michael developed considerable skill as a calligrapher, spending time to humorously write in the finest of script about the poor qualities of this ink or that sheet of paper under the touch of his hand. Michael, along with Aunt Cynthia, was keeper of the family history and heirlooms, selflessly transporting the boxes of family items along with his own whenever he moved. Michael was a great artist, terrific at drawing and painting, and was pursuing a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts from Pacific Northwest College of Arts at the time of his death. Michael was just about to start his second year at the school and was appointed Residence Assistant at the Goose Hollow student housing apartments. A display of his art work will be shown at his memorial service.