Lewis Edwin Davis, Jr.

Captain Lewis E. Davis, Jr., U.S.. Navy (Retired) died May 23, 2016 at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree, CO. He was 97 years of age. Born June 28, 1918 in Clearfield, PA he resided there until graduation from high school in 1936 when he went to Alaska where he was employed in the maritime industry. Returning from Alaska he obtained an appointment to the Pennsylvania State Nautical School, Philadelphia, PA as an engineer cadet. Upon graduation in the fall of 1940 he became a licensed marine engineer, and was employed by the Sun Oil Company, Philadelphia, aboard company tankers. On September of 1941, Captain Davis activated his Naval Reserve Commission as Ensign, E-M, USNR and was assigned to a naval transport engaged in convoy operation in the North Atlantic. In 1944 he was reassigned to an attack transport that served in the Pacific Theater until the end of the war. In 1946 he was accepted and transferred to the Regular Navy. From that time on until 1972 when he retired with thirty-one years naval service, he served aboard a cruiser followed by duty as a commanding officer of an escort destroyer, several destroyers, a destroyer tender, and commander of a destroyer squadron. In between periods of sea duty, Captain Davis specialized in antisubmarine warfare with duty in Key West, FL and Washington DC at the Pentagon. He graduated from the U.S.. Naval War College, Newport, RI in 1964. Following a two year tour of duty as Chief of Staff of a fleet command based in Japan during the Vietnam War, Captain Davis returned to the Pentagon for his final tour of duty, retiring on July 1, 1972. For the next decade he was employed as a naval maritime consultant in the Washington D.C. area. He was married June 15, 1942 to Harriett Edna Flach of Lansdale, PA, who preceded him in death in 1980. From this marriage he is survived by son Lewis Davis III, Celinda Black, Janice Abbott and Harriett LaFleur; 8 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. In 1982 he married Audrey Welsch Godshall of Lansdale and subsequently moved to Hilltown from Alexandria, VA. From this marriage he is survived by his wife, step-children Gwen Baker, Keith Godshall, and Dawn Godshall; 6 step grandchildren and 3 step great grandchildren. Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA on Friday, September 30, 2016 at 9:00 in the morning. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Navy Memorial Fund, Washington DC or a Charity of Choice. Please click on ""Sign Guestbook"" to share memories and messages of condolence with the family.