Richard Henry Davison
November 1, 1928-November 1, 2020 (Age 92)
Richard (Dick) was born in Wenatchee, WA to Henry and Esther (Elliot) Davison, the youngest of three children. Dick died suddenly on his 92nd birthday, six days after the death of his wife of 71 years, Marvel Davison. Dick is survived by his children, Dan Davison (Claudette) of Puyallup, Judy DuPree (Leonard) of Green Valley, AZ, Beverly Pritchard of Enumclaw, and Nancy Wattenbarger (Mark) of South Prairie. He had seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Art Davison and his sister, Jean Remington. Dick was the last of his generation and had many nieces and nephews who will miss him.
Early in life, Dick moved to Stevenson, WA where he grew up on a farm. Dick was always a very hard worker, even as a kid. He had a 20-mile newspaper route, delivering newspapers every day on his bicycle before school. When he was fifteen, during WWII, he worked at the shipyards as an electrician’s apprentice.
After graduating from Battleground High School, he joined the army and was part of the occupying forces in Japan after WWII. After returning to the Vancouver area, he met his wife-to-be, Marvel DeYoung, who was a cadet nurse working at the VA hospital. They married in January of 1949. They moved to the Seattle area in 1951, buying their first house in Auburn before eventually buying a farm outside Enumclaw in 1972. Dick and Marvel enjoyed camping and boating with their kids.
Dick worked for United Airlines as a mechanic before taking a job as an electrician for Bonneville Power in the early 1960s. He also had a haying business in Enumclaw which he continued into his 80s. He and Marvel grew a productive vegetable garden every year. After retiring, Dick and Marvel spent winters in Yuma, Arizona, exploring every possible route to get there. They sold the farm to a granddaughter two years ago and moved to High Point Assisted Living in Enumclaw.
Dick was an avid reader. He was curious about everything and read only non-fiction. He read about science and mechanics, he read biographies, history, and culture. In his later years he enjoyed watching foreign films. He really was a renaissance man, enjoying both the Seahawks and Opera. He was a very intelligent man, but he always enjoyed a good joke and loved to laugh. Part of his curiosity was learning about other people. He always enjoyed listening to their stories.
Dick was dedicated to staying fit. He liked to say that when he was a kid he could run forever. He was still hiking up until his death. His surviving family was hoping to spend more time hiking with him after Marvel passed. That was not to be. He made many treasured friends hiking Mt Peak in Enumclaw.
There will be a memorial for Dick in the spring at the farm. The Davison Family would like to thank High Point Assisted Living for their care and support.
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