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In memory of
Dr. G. Michael "Mike" Davis
September 8, 1938 - February 25, 2021
Sep 8, 1938 - Feb 25, 2021
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In lieu of flowers
Please consider a donation to A scholarship at Strath Haven for graduating seniors pursuing Education.
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Mike's obituary
He is survived by his beloved wife of 41 years, Ginny (nee Brown), and his four children: Wendy Davis and sons John Wallace and Matthew of Brick, NJ, Michael Davis and children Michael and Megan of Landisville, PA, Gordon Davis, his wife Jenna, and their daughter Emily Grace of King of Prussia, PA, and Sarah Davis of Swarthmore.
Additionally, he is survived by his brothers R. Alan Davis of Lancaster, PA, W. Geoffrey Davis and his wife Janet, of Gettysburg, PA and C. Robert Davis and his wife Linda of Newark, DE, plus several nieces and nephews. Mike leaves behind his beloved Alleman family cousins, all descendants of Ira and Mary Alleman of Middletown, PA and his dear friends, Lisa and John Rooney of Merion, PA.
Following in his father’s military service footsteps. Mike joined the U.S. Navy in 1955. He served as a Hospital Corpsman at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bainbridge, Maryland until 1959. Later, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was commissioned as an Ensign in 1963 after completing Officer Candidate School at Newport, RI and served as a line officer in Reserve Crews of the U.S.S. SPERRY, U.S.S. CONWAY, and the U.S.S. BARTON. Mike’s naval officer service included roles as a Deck Department Head, a Weapons Department Head, and as a First Lieutenant, Second Division Officer, Damage Control Assistant. He received an honorable discharge in 1973.
Mike received both his Bachelor’s (1963) and Master’s (1973) degrees in Education from West Chester State College, now West Chester University. Both of Mike’s parents were teachers in the Media, PA area and his maternal and paternal grandfathers also taught school in Pennsylvania. He earned his Doctorate in Education degree with an emphasis on Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) in 1983. Mike won the William. B. Castetter Alumni Award of Merit in 1993. The award recognizes an outstanding graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education for significant service to Penn GSE. For several years, Mike held the volunteer role of president of GSE’s Education Alumni Association.
In 1978, a chance encounter that took place at the University of Pennsylvania campus pub, Smokey Joe’s, introduced Mike to his future wife Ginny, a freshmen student at Penn. They quickly fell in love and married on June 30, 1979. On the 25th anniversary of their wedding day, they renewed their wedding vows at the Holy Trinity Church in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, the church where Ginny’s great grandparents worshiped.
After graduating from West Chester in 1963, Mike began his teaching career at Henderson High School in West Chester, PA. In 1965 he accepted a teaching position at Nether Providence High School, and Mike was an active Merger Committee member when Nether Providence and Swarthmore high schools came together in 1983 to form Strath Haven High School. Mike received the Wallingford Swarthmore Education Association’s Educator’s Award for his outstanding contributions to education for the academic year 1997-1998. Mike especially enjoyed teaching classes that focused on speech, British literature, poetry, AP English. Many of his high school students will recall that he taught them how to properly construct a research paper. One of his favorite courses to teach was, Word Power. While teaching this course, he employed a game, Word Power Football, that successfully engaged his students in a classroom activity that expanded their vocabulary. This game was designed by his son Michael.
Mike’s wife and children gave him great joy and he especially enjoyed spending time with his five grandchildren. A father’s influence on the lives of his children is immense. Mike’s love of teaching inspired two of his children, Wendy and Gordon, to become educators. His son Michael, served in the U.S. Coast Guard for several years. His youngest daughter Sarah, is a writer.
Like so many other teachers, Mike held several extra jobs to support his family. He coached with legendary Nether Providence High School men’s soccer coach Chris Jones, and served in assistant coaching positions for football and girls track teams, plus supervised street hockey games. He served as the faculty sponsor for the high school’s yearbook and for its literary magazine. In 1986, Mike accepted an offer of a summer school teaching position at the Williamson College of the Trades Rook Program. For several summers, Mike taught English and writing skills to incoming freshmen students who needed to acquire additional academic skills prior to their matriculation at Williamson. In addition, Mike taught classes and served as a guest lecturer at Penn State University, and the University of Pennsylvania. For many years he willingly enjoyed serving as a cooperating teacher for student teaching programs at West Chester University, Swarthmore College, and Widener University’s schools of education. Most recently, Mike operated an editing business and guided doctoral students through the writing of their dissertations.
Mike’s love of teaching never waned. After retiring in 2002 from teaching at Strath Haven High School, he began supervising student teaching experiences for Widener University’s Graduate School of Education. While at Widener, serving in an adjunct professor position, he taught composition and graduate level education courses, in addition to offering writing instruction to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students at Widener’s Writing Center. He retired from Widener in 2018. Upon his retirement, Mike was prideful that he had attained his goal of serving as an educator for 55 years. Mike truly enjoyed teaching all students, regardless of their academic ability. His kind and friendly manner, plus his unfailing encouragement of others, boosted the academic confidence of many of his students throughout his teaching career.
An active member of the Episcopal Church, Mike served on Vestry, led committees, and performed several lay ministry duties for his church. He was a past member of St. Mary’s Hamilton Village, Christ Church Ridley Park, and Trinity Church Swarthmore. Mike’s current affiliation with Christ Church Media began in the 1940s when he sang in the Boys Choir as a youngster.
The family regrets to announce that due to the ongoing COVID virus transmission danger, no visitation hours will be held. Instead, please visit tinyurl.com/DoctorDavis to express your condolences. A private Funeral Mass will be held for his immediate family members at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, March 6 at Christ Church. The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed and accessible online beginning at 10:45 A.M. on Saturday at https://vimeo.com/user1114600… Mike’s body will be cremated and his ashes will be buried at sea by the U.S. Navy. In lieu of flowers, family requests contributions be made to Christ Church Media, or to support a scholarship that will be established for students at Strath Haven High School who plan to study education at the postsecondary level. For more information, visit the J. Nelson Rigby Funeral Home’s website located at: https://www.jnelsonrigbyfh.co…
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In lieu of flowers
Please consider a donation to A scholarship at Strath Haven for graduating seniors pursuing Education.
$1,715.00
total raised
Recent contributions
Recent contributions
In lieu of flowers
Please consider a donation to A scholarship at Strath Haven for graduating seniors pursuing Education.
$1,715.00
total raised
Recent contributions
Recent contributions
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