DR. JOHN M. DAVIS, DDS CLASS OF 1961, PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY CLASS OF 1967
Dr. John M. Davis died peacefully with his family by his side on Sept. 4, 2021 in Seattle, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 85. In 2000 he retired from the UW after 33 years, including one as Acting Chair of Pedodontics. In 2008 he retired from private practice.
He was born in Wenatchee, Wash., where he lived until graduation from high school. At the UW, he ran track and was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. After three years of undergraduate study, he entered the School of Dentistry. During summer breaks he worked at Rocky Reach Dam and courted his future wife, Patricia, a lifeguard at the municipal pool in Wenatchee. After her graduation from Stanford University, they were married in 1960.
The Army intervened in their plans to travel, so the couple spent the next three years stationed in Bayreuth, Germany. While there he ran an Army dental clinic and their son, Jeffrey, was born. The couple took full advantage of the musical opportunities in that historic town until returning to Seattle so he could earn a Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry. In 1967, he joined the UW pediatric dentistry (pedodontics) faculty and worked with Drs. David Law and Thompson Lewis to complete The Atlas of Pedodontics, which was published in five languages. The third edition in electronic form, with Dr. Devereaux Peterson, continues to be used around the world by dental students. Dr. Davis subsequently lectured abroad, particularly in Japan, South America, and Iran.
After nine years at the UW, Dr. Davis reduced his teaching schedule to half time and began a half-time private practice. He cherished the children of his practice, as well as his dedicated staff.
The couple were supportive of each other throughout their lives together: she for the first 24 years of his career and travels, and he for the next 24 years during her service in elected office. He was a kind and compassionate man whose last words were, “Thank you.”
His favorite vacation time was spent at the family’s Lake Chelan (Washington) cabin. He was famous for water skiing backwards and for 17 underwater somersaults, never matched by any challengers.
Dr. Davis is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters Christine (Brooke) Bostic and Camille (Eric) Dayment; grandchildren Isabella and Alex Davis and Gretchen and Gavin Dayment; sister Carol Allen; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Jeffrey, and sister Marilyn Pratt. (Wenatchee World, Pediatric Dentistry News 2013 (PDF) )