Davis, Ronald K.

March 3, 1928 to Sept. 18, 2010 Ronald K. Davis was born on 
March 3, 1928 to Jessie and Sam Davis in San Diego (North Park 
area). Ron and his sisters Phyllis and Sally attended Jefferson 
Elementary, Roosevelt Junior High and San Diego High School. 
The family lived on Mississippi Street until the end of World War 
II. One of Ron's favorite stories was on December 7, 1941 when 
he and his buddy Ned mounted their bikes and rushed to the San 
Diego waterfront with 22 rifles in hand to wait for the Japanese 
to enter the harbor They did not show, so they biked to the 
Silver Castle Hamburger joint on University and bought a dozen 
burgers for $1 (What a deal!). Then they were off to Balboa 
Stadium to watch the Bombers football team play Los Angeles. 
The San Diego High School years with great gals (including his 
future wife June B. Smith) and guys were some of his best years. 
He worked summers for a defense contractor delivering war 
material to North Island. He played football for three years with 
Coach Bill Bailey and the great team of players who made it all 
worth the effort by waxing Hoover High 72-0. After graduation 
in 1946, nineteen of the guys, including three from Hoover High, 
joined the Navy for Boot Camp. Ron spent time in China but all 
the guys were split up over the Pacific for the rest of the two 
years of duty. Upon returning to San Diego, it was off to San 
Diego Junior College for two years where he discovered 
architecture and played football. He was a lifeguard at Mission 
Beach during the summers and courted the love of his life, the 
beautiful red head, June Smith. They were married on April 2, 
1950 at the North Park Trinity Methodist Church. Then they were 
off to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to obtain an architecture degree. 
Their two sons Mark Zachary and Brad Scott were born in 1950 
and 1953. Upon graduation in 1953, it was back to San Diego to 
work for architects Henry Hester, Fred Leibhart, and Fred Norris. 
Ron started his own office with architect Bill Moises and later his 
two sons joined the firm know as Davis, Davis, and Davis 
Architects in Old Town. The firm branched into hotel and motel 
projects in San Diego, Knotts Berry Farm, San Francisco, Arizona, 
New Mexico, and Texas. He kept this office open until he retired 
in 2008. Ron and June played golf two or three times a week 
with memberships at Carlton Oaks and 28 years at Singing Hills. 
Ron was a former member of the American Institute of 
Architects, Optimists' Club, Boys' and Girls' Club, and the Old 
Town Community Planning Group, where he received a Lifetime 
Achievement Award. Ron is survived by his wife June, sons Mark 
and Brad, sister Phyllis, five grandchildren, and three great-
grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to 
Alzheimer's' Association.

Published in San Diego Union-Tribune on September 26, 2010