In Grandpa Davis’ Memory
Donation protected
Grandpa Davis was a loyal patron of the Hingham Public Library for over 70 years. To celebrate his life and passion for learning, I would like to donate to the library in his honor.
Donations can be made to this site or checks can be sent directly to: Hingham Public Library, Attn Memorial Gifts, 66 Leavitt St, Hingham, MA 02043.
George Irving Davis, age 103, died November 7, 2020 in Hingham, MA, surrounded by his loving family. He was born at home in Braintree, MA in 1917 to Annie Laura (Lindsay) and Julian I. Davis, and graduated from Braintree High School in 1936. He was on his high school gym team (specializing in rings and parallel bars) and in later years when his wife watched Olympic gymnastics she would always say “your father could do that”. He worked at Fore River Shipyard during WWII, and when no further shipbuilding was needed for the war he served in the Army in Japan. After the war he returned to the Shipyard but after several physical injuries his wife encouraged him to find a different career. He graduated from Franklin Institute of Technology and served as in instructor there for two years. He then worked at MIT and Draper Labs for many years as an electrician and later physical plant engineer. Education was very important to him, and the list of courses he took over his lifetime is lengthy. He encouraged the same love of learning in his children and grandchildren.
He was married to his beloved wife Ruth Elaine (Adams) Davis for 70 years and missed her deeply every day since her passing in 2015. He liked to tell a story about sitting on a stone wall with a friend when a beautiful girl came down the street and stopped to talk to them. He never took his eyes off that beautiful girl again, and thought that was the luckiest day of his life.
He was the father of Gary Davis of Mukilteo, WA, Joyce Davis of Hingham, MA, Gail Tellier and husband Richard of Marshfield, MA, and beloved granddaughters Brittany Francis and husband Mike of North Andover, MA, and Jillian O’Sullivan and husband Kevin of Weymouth, MA. He was one of five siblings and is survived by his brother Carleton Davis of Whitehall, NY.
He was a long-time member of Hingham Congregational Church. He was a ham radio operator since he was a teenager, including in the army; he belonged to the Whitman Amateur Radio Club and spent many Saturday mornings “fox-hunting” with them. He loved to work with his hands and could fix just about anything. He loved being physically active; when he worked at Draper he would ride his bicycle or swim during his lunch break. After retirement he remained active at the Hingham Fitness Center where he exercised until age 102 when it closed because of COVID. When asked how he was, he frequently answered “full of pep, vim, vigor and vitality!” He was delighted to dance with each of his granddaughters at their weddings, at age 99 and 102.
He also loved going on adventures with his granddaughters. He took ferry rides with Brittany where she would get them on the wrong boats and end up in the wrong direction; he liked to laugh about those trips. He and Jillian liked exploring local treats: trying to eat each flavor of ice cream at Hornstra Farm and each type of muffin at Bob’s Muffins, and they often took a drive afterward to visit some place of interest. He loved any time related to family. He always enjoyed talking to his brother Carleton, frequently about things that happened almost a century ago that they both enjoyed remembering. When he could no longer drive, his nephew Carl took him to ham radio meetings, and he came to enjoy talking to Carl on the drive more than the meetings themselves.
Donations can be made to this site or checks can be sent directly to: Hingham Public Library, Attn Memorial Gifts, 66 Leavitt St, Hingham, MA 02043.
George Irving Davis, age 103, died November 7, 2020 in Hingham, MA, surrounded by his loving family. He was born at home in Braintree, MA in 1917 to Annie Laura (Lindsay) and Julian I. Davis, and graduated from Braintree High School in 1936. He was on his high school gym team (specializing in rings and parallel bars) and in later years when his wife watched Olympic gymnastics she would always say “your father could do that”. He worked at Fore River Shipyard during WWII, and when no further shipbuilding was needed for the war he served in the Army in Japan. After the war he returned to the Shipyard but after several physical injuries his wife encouraged him to find a different career. He graduated from Franklin Institute of Technology and served as in instructor there for two years. He then worked at MIT and Draper Labs for many years as an electrician and later physical plant engineer. Education was very important to him, and the list of courses he took over his lifetime is lengthy. He encouraged the same love of learning in his children and grandchildren.
He was married to his beloved wife Ruth Elaine (Adams) Davis for 70 years and missed her deeply every day since her passing in 2015. He liked to tell a story about sitting on a stone wall with a friend when a beautiful girl came down the street and stopped to talk to them. He never took his eyes off that beautiful girl again, and thought that was the luckiest day of his life.
He was the father of Gary Davis of Mukilteo, WA, Joyce Davis of Hingham, MA, Gail Tellier and husband Richard of Marshfield, MA, and beloved granddaughters Brittany Francis and husband Mike of North Andover, MA, and Jillian O’Sullivan and husband Kevin of Weymouth, MA. He was one of five siblings and is survived by his brother Carleton Davis of Whitehall, NY.
He was a long-time member of Hingham Congregational Church. He was a ham radio operator since he was a teenager, including in the army; he belonged to the Whitman Amateur Radio Club and spent many Saturday mornings “fox-hunting” with them. He loved to work with his hands and could fix just about anything. He loved being physically active; when he worked at Draper he would ride his bicycle or swim during his lunch break. After retirement he remained active at the Hingham Fitness Center where he exercised until age 102 when it closed because of COVID. When asked how he was, he frequently answered “full of pep, vim, vigor and vitality!” He was delighted to dance with each of his granddaughters at their weddings, at age 99 and 102.
He also loved going on adventures with his granddaughters. He took ferry rides with Brittany where she would get them on the wrong boats and end up in the wrong direction; he liked to laugh about those trips. He and Jillian liked exploring local treats: trying to eat each flavor of ice cream at Hornstra Farm and each type of muffin at Bob’s Muffins, and they often took a drive afterward to visit some place of interest. He loved any time related to family. He always enjoyed talking to his brother Carleton, frequently about things that happened almost a century ago that they both enjoyed remembering. When he could no longer drive, his nephew Carl took him to ham radio meetings, and he came to enjoy talking to Carl on the drive more than the meetings themselves.
Organizer
Brittany Francis
Organizer
Hingham, MA
