John Kenneth Davis

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Friday, 11 April 2014 13:52

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Longtime Sitka resident John Kenneth Davis, 86, died peacefully Tuesday, April 8, at the Sitka Pioneers Home, surrounded by his family.
Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, at St. Michael’s Cathedral, followed by a brief U.S. military ceremony at Sitka National Cemetery on Sawmill Creek Road. A reception will be held at Sheet’ka Kwaan Naa Kahidi community house at noon. Food and beverages will be provided, but if anyone would like to take a dish to share, it would be welcome.
John was born Feb. 12, 1928, in Sitka to John and Julia (Jacobs) Davis. At the time of his birth his father was a trapper and a fox farmer, with his mother running the household.
John was a Deisheetan and the hit s’aati (housemaster) of Took’Kha Hit (Needlefish House) in Angoon. His Tlingit names were Kichnaalxh, Steeyan, Khaach Kooxhkitl, and Kheelti Eesh. His mother Julia’s Tlingit name was Xwaansan, Shaawat Tlein, Seistaan Tlaa.
John grew up around his maternal grandmother S’eiltin (Emma Jacobs), who spoke very little English, so “he had no choice but to speak Tlingit,” his family said. S’eiltin was the daughter of Keinteen, whose mother was Ahyaawdu.oo, whose lineage was that of the woman named S’eiltin,who walked across Tin.aa (copper plates) to her husband, Taaxhshaa.
Growing up around Sitka, he loved to spend his time on the water. He would row his grandmother Emma Jacobs to the family garden at Sam Sing Cove and spend time fishing with his uncle, Mark Jacobs Sr.
In 1945, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces. He was honorably discharged in 1950.
While stationed in Seattle, he met Margaret Ann Peterson, who was working for Boeing Aircraft, assembling planes. They married Sept. 26, 1945. He was transferred to Minneapolis, Minn., where Margaret was from. They lived there for 12 years, and in that time their children Janet and Ken were born.
In December 1959 the family moved to Sitka, flying in on a PBY and landing in the water at the turnaround at Katlian and HPR. Five years later their son Patrick was born at Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital.
After returning home to Sitka, John was employed in the logging industry, Alaska Lumber & Pulp, and Samson Tug and Barge on the boats. He was a heavy equipment operator in Valdezon the TransAlaska pipeline. He spent time in between as a commercial fisherman, and also worked for the U.S. Post Office here in the maintenance department, from which he retired.
During his retirement years he enjoyed making model boats for family and friends. He would spend many days on each model doing fine detail work. He would name the boats after the people he gave them to.
Other hobbies were Tlingit wood carving, beading and drum-making.
John also loved spending time with his grandchildren.
He liked to hunt and spend time on the water, fishing. In the summer you could him tending to the salmon he was smoking – family and friends said he made the best smoked salmon.
He was a member of the Shee Atika Corp. board of directors for 18 years and was on the boards of Sitka Council on Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse, and the Sitka Historical Society. He was a lifetime member of the Elks Lodge, Sitka Sportsman’s Association and the American Legion Post 13.
John was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Ann Davis; parents John Davis and Julia (Jacobs) Davis Sr.; sisters Evelyn, Eileen and Rosemary; his infant son Mark John Davis; and his great-grandson John Keith Davis.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Janet and Tom Sumey of Kenai; son and daughter-in-law Ken and Michelle Davis of Sitka; and son Patrick Davis of Sitka.
His grandchildren and great-grandchildren are Candi and husband Brian Engen and their children, Scott (Stanford) and John Engen; Mark Davis and wife Florirose and their children E.J. and Kylie; Jeff Davis and his wife, Sammy, and their children Kadin and Masin; and grandchildren Ty, Destiny, Colette, Bently, Mercedes and Salest and their mother Saranne Twitchell.
Other survivors include his sister and brother-in-law Norma and Hillary Ballancier of Slidell, La., and brother and sister-in-law Jim and Sharon Davis of Wasilla; cousins Bertha Karras of Sitka, Laverne Wise of Seattle, and Hamilton Cook of Kenai; his aunt Emma Demmert of Angoon; and uncle Cyril George of Juneau.
Pallbearers are sons Ken and Patrick Davis, grandsons Mark, Jeff and Ty Davis; and great-grandsons Scott Stanford and Scott Engen.
Honorary pallbearers are Rocky Ballancier, Mikolas Bekeris, Butch Belcher and Frank Brush.
John’s family gave a huge Gunalcheesh to the Sitka Pioneers Home staff, Dr. Vega and the staff of SEARHC-Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital for their loving care of John.
In lieu of flowers, the Davis family suggests contributions be made to the Sitka Native Education Program.

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