Donald Davis

Donald Phillip Davis of Palisade took the hand of God on Nov. 18, 2016, at the home of his son, surrounded by his loving family. He was 82. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, at Brown’s Cremation & Funeral Service, 904 N. 7th St., Grand Junction. Burial will be in Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado. Don was born Feb. 23, 1934, in Rock Springs, Wyo., the eighth and youngest child of Henry W. and Jeanette Wilde Davis. After his father died when Don was just a year old, he was raised by a Wyoming-strong mother, who instilled a solid work ethic in her son that would endure his entire life. Don graduated from Rock Springs High School in 1952 and voluntarily joined the U.S. Navy that same year during the Korean Conflict, serving four years on aircraft carriers including the USS Bonhomme Richard and the USS Kearsarge before he was honorably discharged in 1956. It was during this time that he met Ruby Hill and eventually convinced her to marry him, despite a disastrous first date in which he stood her up. He always insisted that he accidentally had fallen asleep. Ruby gave him a second chance and they married a year later, on Dec. 22, 1956, in San Diego, Calif. After they were married, he attended California Western University in San Diego. The couple moved to Phoenix where Don became a police officer and would serve proudly for seven years. In 1963, he was one of the arresting officers in the case that eventually would result in Miranda rights. The family moved to Palisade in 1966 where Don and Ruby operated the Chuck Wagon, a mobile catering service, and the Chuck Wagon Café in Clifton before he went to work for Public Service Co. of Colorado, now known as Xcel Energy. Don worked there for 23 years, starting as a substation electrician before retiring in 1994 as Western Colorado Substation Manager. Don loved Colorado’s outdoors and spent a good part of his free time camping, fishing and hunting, especially on Grand Mesa with his family and friends. Just days before he fell ill this summer, he and his son, Scott, fished and caught from his boat at Trickle Park Reservoir. He and Ruby traveled after retirement, spending weeks at a time in places such as Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Wales, home of his mother’s ancestors. His kids, Carol and Scott, were the light of his life, but that light became much brighter on Sept. 17, 1997, with the arrival of his beloved grandchildren, Chance, Piper and Isabel. The triplets became central to his life and he had a special relationship with each of them. Don was a longtime member of the Church of Christ. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Bill Davis; and sisters Lucille Olivero, Dorothy Lightner, Beverly Toombs, Shirley Aslett and Ruth Davis. Survivors include his wife, Ruby, to whom he would have been married 60 years next month; daughter, Carol, of Nashville, Tenn.; son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Laurena, of Clifton; grandchildren, Piper, Isabel and Chance; a sister, Evelyn Dotson of Aurora, Ill.; and numerous nieces and nephews who thought the world of him, especially Don Lightner of Rock Springs. We had an inside family routine in which Dad would jokingly ask, “Do you think you’re a better person for having known me?” Usually, our answers were accompanied by an eye-roll. But the answer was always, “Yes.” Because, Dad, we are better persons for having known you. We are grateful for the wonderful care provided by our HopeWest hospice team, Courtney, Charlotte, Cindy and Scott. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for remembrance donations to HopeWest, 3090 N. 12th St., Unit B, Grand Junction, CO, 81506.