John T. ‘JD’ Davis Jr.

Published 4:35 am Thursday, November 6, 2014

Warrenton

Dec. 14, 1933 — Nov. 1, 2014

Born on Dec. 14, 1933, the son of John T. Davis and Amy Elizabeth (Doney) Newton-Davis, in McMinnville, Ore., John Thomas Davis Jr. passed away suddenly on Nov. 1, 2014. As the 15th child, John was the baby of the family. The family lived in McMinnville and Warrenton, where he attended school.

John worked for the U.S. Maritime Commission in 1952 at Tongue Point in Astoria, Ore. He enlisted in the U.S. Army from February 1953 through 1955, and was stationed in Germany. Upon his discharge, he worked at the Warrenton Lumber Mill and then began his lifelong career of commercial fishing on the Pacific Ocean, where he trolled, crabbed, fished for tuna and black cod on the fishing vessels the Cajo (Kay-Jo), the Donna J, the Amber and the Pacific Queen, before retiring in the early 1990s.

John married Norma (Brown) Killion on Feb. 9, 1957, and together they had six children. They divorced, and he later married Zelma Tilton until her death in 1995, and then married Irene Hinkley on Dec. 18, 1999. She resides in the family home in Warrenton.

He served on the Warrenton City Commission from 1974 to 1980, the Warrenton-Hammond School Board from 1976 to 1980 and had been a member of the Gateway Lodge No. 175 since 1968, serving as Grand Master in 1973. John participated in the Masonic Honors banquet, sponsoring many Warrenton High School seniors for many years. He was also a member of the American Legion, Post No. 0012.

John was an avid reader and enjoyed checking out books from the Warrenton Community Library every other week, completing the daily New York Times crossword puzzle, beachcombing, picking wild blackberries and wild mushrooms, gardening, baking his famous wild blackberry pies and playing cribbage.

He is survived by his wife Irene Davis; son Jeff Davis (Gretchen); daughter Dianne Burkhart (Carl); daughter Donna Davis (Nadine); daughter Nancy Davis (Janay); stepdaughters Sealy Tilton of Warrenton and Diane Gustafson (Dave) from Maple Grove, Minn.; stepson Herbie Tilton (LeeAnn); grandsons Kodi Davis, David and Aaron (Shelby) Burkhart, Johnny Davis, Dylan Campbell-Fox, Kaden Abrego, Willie Kyle (Karen), Dan Tilton, Jim Tilton and Tim Tilton and Christopher (Kerry) Gustafson of Maple Grove, Minn.; granddaughters Bailey Davis, Jade Ford-Davis (Mark), Allison Melton (Bill) of Italy, Camille Campbell, Katie (Brad) Meehan of Maple Grove, Minn., Teri (Louis) Gazda, Miki Allen of Las Vegas, Nev.; several great-grandkids and numerous nieces and nephews. Also surviving are his sisters Joy Howell of Newberg and Betty (Lenny) Morse of La Grande; and a brother, Sam Newton, the Philippines.

He was preceded in death by his sons Mark and Johnny Davis; former wife Zelma Davis; stepdaughter Belinda Luke; stepson Steven Hinkley; and step-grandson Sonny Munkel.

A private Masonic funeral will be held on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014, at the Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton, Ore., at 3:00 p.m.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Nov, 8, 2014, in the Armory at Camp Rilea, in Warrenton, Ore., at 3:00 p.m. Casual attire encouraged.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Warrenton Community Library, P.O. Box 250, Warrenton, OR 97146 or the Warrenton Volunteer Firefighters Assn., P.O. Box 787, Warrenton, OR 97146.