Jerry Wayne Davis

   Jerry Wayne Davis, 79, of Manhattan, Kansas, passed away on Saturday (July 16, 2022) at Wellsprings of Westmoreland. He was a loving husband for 41 years to his wife, Robin Trudy Davis.

   Jerry was born July 8, 1943, in Portland, Oregon, to a young Soldier, Orville Eugene “Buster” Davis, and his wife, Amy Lee (Johnston) Davis, from Cushing, Oklahoma. Shortly after Jerry was born, Buster deployed to fight with the Army in Europe during World War II. Buster did not return from the war and the family returned to Oklahoma. Jerry spoke fondly of his time as a young boy in Oklahoma, with his grandparents and older sister, Greta Sue. Eventually, his mother remarried, a young Marine, Edward C. Holden, who moved the family to Manassas, Virginia, and then to San Diego, California.
   

   Jerry lived most of his life in San Diego, graduating from Clairemont High School in 1961; a member of the wrestling and gymnastics team. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Arts and Life Sciences in 1966 and a master’s degree in Industrial Arts from San Diego State University in 1975. Jerry worked as a teacher for the San Diego Unified School District from 1969 until his retirement in 2001. He was a favorite wood shop, metal shop, auto shop, and science teacher to many students at Collier Junior High and De Portola Middle School, teaching hundreds of young people how to make small projects including hand flyers, radios, piggy banks, and even a surfboard.

   Jerry loved working with his hands. He enjoyed woodworking, making small trinkets for the family or helping family and friends with home repairs. He also loved working on car engines of all kinds and could tell you the make, model, and year of just about any car that went by on the road. He enjoyed riding motorcycles in the Buttercup Valley sand dunes in Imperial County, CA.  He also loved to travel, making many trips driving across the country in his RV and flying around the world.

   He was a member of Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Santee, CA.

   He lived a full life, with his wife Robin; two sons, Jon and Terry; two daughters Elizabeth and Barbara; two daughters-in-law, Dawn and Xenedraa; son-in-law, William; nephews, Rod and John; nieces, Dawn and Jennifer; sister-in-law, Tami; and ten grandchildren, Megan, Brian, Joel,
Samuel, Emily, Eliza, Ellie, Michael, Madeline, and William.

   He was preceded in death by his son Shawn. His gentle demeanor and kind soul will live on in the hearts of many.

   Cremation arrangements are in the care of Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego.

   Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

   The family is grateful for the loving care given to Jerry by St. Croix Hospice and Wellsprings of Westmoreland in his final months.