Gordon L. Davis

Of Roseville, MN; passed away peacefully early on June 11, 2021.  He had lived for 93 years.​Gordon was born in 1927, the youngest of six children, and grew up in Luverne, Minnesota during the Great Depression.  His father, Clifford Davis, died when Gordon was young.  Gordon’s mother, Sara Davis, made donuts and sold them to local restaurants.  To help his mother’s business, young Gordon pulled the donuts along in his wagon along his delivery route each morning before going to school.  Gordon served in the U.S. army in Japan at the tail end of WWII after a Pacific crossing in a troop ship.  He recalled being kept below deck with the other troops when the ship encountered 25-foot waves, and experiencing particularly hot weather as the ship passed near Guam.  He arrived at his base in Japan in 1945.  Soon after he arrived, the company commander discovered that Gordon could type.  That discovery led to ordnance assignments and working with translators and local contractors to keep the base repaired and running.​After returning from overseas, Gordon continued his education with help from the GI Bill.  First, he attended Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  Looking back later, he particularly appreciated an Augustana English professor whose work and encouragement helped him to improve his writing.  From Augustana, Gordon moved to the Twin Cities to attend the University of Minnesota.​After school, Gordon lived mainly in the Twin Cities, working in the insurance and investment fields.  Outside of work, he became active in the St. Paul Audubon Society, and especially during the 1980s he volunteered for Audubon’s environmental committee.  During and after his working life, he enjoyed music, birding, and photography.  As a caring husband and father, Gordon worked to provide a stable and welcome home for his family.  He took great pride and joy in his four grandchildren and encouraged each of them to flourish with their individual interests. Gordon and Eunice, his late wife of 63 years, both moved from the countryside to the Twin Cities for their college and careers.  They started out with little more than their love of learning and strong work ethics, and built well-lived lives from that start.    Gordon is survived by children, Craig (Colette), Cynthia, and Bryce (Beth); by grandchildren, Ben, Ariel, Blythe (Joey), and Arik; and a great-grandchild, Alistair.   Private family interment, Fort Snelling National Cemetery.