Thomas E. Davis

1947 - 2025

Thomas E. Davis
Thomas Enos Davis passed away peacefully in Hospice care on September 9, 2025, in Scottsdale, AZ at the age of 78. Born in Norwich, CT on March 24, 1947, to Louise Emma (Belisle) Davis and George Everett Davis, he was the older brother to sister Jean and brother George. He spent his first 14 years developing his interest and aptitude in mechanics. He moved with his family to Fairfield, CT where he became especially enthusiastic about cars. In 1965, Tom graduated from Bullard Havens Technical School, Bridgeport, CT. In 1967, Tom was drafted into the Army. The sorting of soldiers into appropriate tasks worked in his favor and he was assigned to vehicle readiness. He was honorably discharged in 1969 after serving in Korea with the rank of Sergeant First Class. After his military service Tom went on to study engineering, first at Norwalk State Technical College where he received an associate degree. He followed that up with a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 1977 from the University of New Haven.
Tom first used his mechanical skills working for Avco Lycoming, the aircraft engine manufacturer. Later, following his decorated service in the Army and college studies, he applied his engineering talents for Motorola in Stratford, CT. He married JoAnne Szerszen in 1972, and they eventually moved to Scottsdale, AZ where they both worked for Motorola and shared a 22 year life together before divorcing in 1994. Tom retired from Motorola in 2002 as Senior Engineer, Tactical Electronics Division, Government and Systems Technology Group. At that time he talked little about his work because of its classified status.
Tom was an avid sports car enthusiast and owned a very special 1966 canary yellow Chevelle Super Sport 396 which he tuned to perfection. A happy time for him was going to a track to push his car to maximum performance. He was so protective of his car that he would not let his little brother drive it, even during the time he was away in the Army. Following his move to Scottsdale he enjoyed a "dune buggy" for recreational rides in the desert, a very different landscape than his home in Connecticut.
Tom was a quiet person overall and rarely told stories of personal projects or accomplishments. However, in a special moment, he showed one of the first cell phone prototypes that he helped design and produce from a 3-D printer at Motorola. This was in the years before 3-D printing was revealed from the proprietary world of Motorola to become available to the general public.
In 2000, Tom began a 25-year commitment with Joan Lynn Kraska and enjoyed family life, fully embracing her daughter Kimberly (Ted) Nelander's family and enjoying the role of "adopted grandpa" to her children Alexandra and Nicholas.
Tom enjoyed outdoor sports, golf, downhill skiing and hiking. He was an amateur historian and enjoyed travel, including rafting the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, and basking in the sun in Mexico.
He was predeceased by parents George and Louise Davis and beloved dogs Snowball and Tasha and cat Tres. Besides his "adopted" family, he leaves sister Jean and her husband Don Stonack of Seattle, WA, brother George and his wife Lisa Bonneville of Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA, and special cousin Arlene Hughes O'Donnell, nephew Eric Davis and wife Margaret Davis, niece Florence Davis, and six great nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank nurse Mark whose care during Tom's final days was a special gift.
Tom was a kind and gentle soul and will be deeply missed by family and friends. In accordance with his wishes, there will be no service.