Dr. Gerald Loyd Davis(Jerry)'s Obituary
Dr. Gerald Loyd Davis (Jerry)November 11, 1937 – September 17, 2018 Jerry was born in Oklahoma and moved to Bakersfield, California during early childhood. He met his wife, Joyce, when they were both in high school. His persistent charm and his prowess on the dance floor led to her falling in love with him. They married in February of 1958. He joined the Navy soon after high school and served with them for 5 years as a Corpsman stationed in the San Diego area. The training and benefits he received in the Navy set him on a path to begin a new career soon after his honorable discharge. He and his wife, Joyce, raised their three boys while he pursued his education at the University of California, Davis. He worked various side jobs as a medical technician so that Joyce could be home with the children. Jerry loved taking his family camping and backpacking in the Sierras. The family has many stories to tell of their adventures in the great outdoors. After many years, he earned his PhD in Physiology at UC Davis in 1975. Upon graduation, he accepted a professorship at Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Their family loaded everything into a moving van and hitched up the family station wagon to drive across country. He was a teaching and research professor. He was known for teaching physiology and hematology to medical technician students in a way that helped them effectively understand the complicated processes of the human body. In 1988, Jerry was offered a position at Michigan State University as the head of the Physiology Department. By then, their children were all married and he and Joyce headed to their new life as empty nesters. He taught, directed research, and dealt with bureaucracy at Michigan State for 12 years. When he retired in 2000, his students awarded him with a special plaque in appreciation for his teaching and investment in their lives. Jerry’s dreams of retirement were tarnished by the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Syndrome when he was 58 years old. Despite the difficulties of living with this disorder, he refused to be defined by it. He pursued his love and passion for woodworking and became accomplished at woodturning, becoming known for the beautiful wood bowls he turned. He and Joyce worked hard to transform their ten-acre lot in the woods into a beautiful country home full of hospitality. They both served in community service groups and projects with Kiwanis, their Wood Working Group and their Parkinson’s Support Group. In 2013, Jerry and Joyce moved into Acacia Creek Retirement Community in Union City to be closer to their oldest son’s family. Despite health problems and dealing with a degenerative condition, they have built many positive relationships there and Jerry will be missed for his jokes and the way he loved to dance despite the difficulties of Parkinson’s. Jerry is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Joyce Davis; his sons Mike, Bernie, and Scott (Timothy); eleven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. If you wish to make a donation in Jerry’s memory, the family recommends the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. A small gravesite service will be held on September 28, 2018 with Military Honors A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date near Acacia Creek Retirement Community in Union City
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