Guild President Mardie Schroeder received a notice that a past president of the Guild, John Warren Davis, one of our lifetime members, passed away on September 22, 2020. He listed the Guild as family or friend to be notified of his passing.
A long-time resident of San Diego, he died peacefully on September 22, 2020, following a long illness. He was 74.
John was born in York, Pennsylvania, to Lillian Putnam Billings Davis (Rochester, New York) and Frank Asbury Davis, Jr. (St. Joseph, Missouri). John grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Fenger High School. Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
John was soon off to the U.S. Army, where he served honorably as a decorated enlisted man and acting Sergeant in Vietnam and Hawaii.
In 1972, upon discharge, he moved to San Diego primarily for the weather. He worked in Real Estate Sales and Management but left San Diego for a position at the Office of Naval Research at Stanford, University.
He returned to San Diego in 1988 after assignments in Corona, CA, for Naval Weapons Center Seal Beach at the Fleet Analysis Center, and on a Joint Service Program at Los Angeles Air Force Base (DMSP), joining the COMNAVIRPAC staff at North Island. He finished his Civil Service Career with the Defense Contract Management Command in San Diego at Raytheon. His final work assignment was a civilian position with Kellogg, Brown, and Root as a GMlS/Colonel equivalent with duty in Kuwait, supporting the U.S. Army in Iraq.
During his working career, John was active in Community Affairs as a member of the Greater Golden Hill Planning Committee, an active leader in the National Contract Management Association's San Diego Chapter as a Fellow Mentor, and CPCM Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University. He also was a past President of the San Diego Writers and Editor's Guild, publishing one non-fiction book and several professional journal articles in the field of Federal Contracting.
In addition to his professional designations, Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) and Real Estate Broker, John held an A.A. in Real Estate from San Diego City College, a B.A. in Political Science from Drake University, an M.S. in Federal Contracting from West Coast University and did post-graduate work at Walden University.
In retirement, John was able to resume one of his favorite hobbies of international travel, which he began at age seventeen. He visited well over 100 countries and the seven continents. He was a proud member of the Traveler's Century Club of Los Angeles. John was a life member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Colonists, Sons of Colonial New England, and Founders of North America.
His community service volunteer work in retirement included as a member of St. Paul's Friends of Military Outreach & Support (FOMOS) committee in outreach efforts for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). He was a Patron of the San Diego Opera. He is survived by a brother, William F. Davis of Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and a step-sister, Karen Rambeaux of Rogers, Arkansas.
In addition to being a Life Member and a past president of the SDWEG, he was published in The Guilded Pen several years since the inaugural 2012 edition.
