Published: Sunday, July 26, 2009
James Davis of Lake Stevens loved to laugh, cared deeply for his wife
No one could deliver a joke like James Davis.
Totally straight-faced, he set it up like a curve ball. Bewildered, listeners would wonder if he was kidding or not, then the punch line hit like a line drive.
"Everything was a joke," said his mother, Barbara Davis, at the family home in Everett.
Humor got him through. Born with a bad liver, he wasn't expected to live to his teen years. At age 17 he suffered a stroke that disabled his left side, ruined his short-term memory and left him with poor eyesight.
Some might say he was left half a man, but when he met his "other half," his wife of almost eight years, they became whole.
Janet Davis had spina bifida and couldn't walk.
Her husband couldn't remember what he had for breakfast.
She died and he followed a few weeks later.
"He said he had been one with his wife," said his father, James Davis. "He didn't want to be just a half."
Janet Davis, from Lake Stevens, died May 1 of heart failure.
James Francis Davis, 44, passed away June 10.
His family said Davis died of kidney failure, but above all, of a broken heart. He is survived by his parents, James and Barbara Davis; siblings Tamara, David, Beth and her husband, Alex Walsh, Tina and her partner, Sheri, and Barbara and her husband Edward Dischner; nieces, Kailey, Chelsea, Nadia Dean and Tabitha; nephew, Logan James; members of his extended family; and many friends.
The family moved to Everett from California when Davis was a toddler. He couldn't play contact sports but excelled in Boy Scouts, obtaining the Eagle rank at age 15.
He was a thespian at Cascade High School and lettered in cross country.
On his 17th birthday, his mother found him screaming from pain in the bathroom. A brain aneurism burst. He was hospitalized for months, surrounded by family and classmates.
During his recovery, his sister, Tina Davis, said their father left silly notes in the hospital for her brother to find.
"To Jamie those notes made his day and he showed them to everyone proudly," Tina Davis said. "It was my Dad's silly notes that, as Jamie would later tell people, gave him his reason to fight."
Classmate Jeanne Moyer-Hayes said drama students were as close as siblings.
"We heard at school that Jamie had a medical emergency and everyone was worried that he would die," she said. "I was so scared to see him in the hospital."
She said he was loved by so many people.
Terri Troy said her cousin kept his sense of humor and tenacity after the stroke. He retained classic family stories.
"Jamie was truly the keeper of our memories," Tina Davis said. "It was as if he had a special place that held everything, from birthdays and anniversaries of everyone in our family, to even the names of fourth cousins."
He wore T-shirts with funny messages, collected ball caps and loved to eat homemade macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Mexican food.
Other loves were St. Mary Magdalen School, where he spent his elementary school years, and shopping at Target, where he always bumped into friends.
He loved to be employed but seldom kept a job more than 90 days. His father said his son talked too much. Through the years, Davis moved in and out of the family home. When he lived in Broadway Plaza he met another resident, Janet Longnecker.
They fell in love, married, and lived in south Everett at the time of their deaths.
Janet Davis died suddenly at the home they shared with Dudley the dog. Davis called his mother to say he couldn't wake Janet up.
At her memorial, Davis spoke more succinctly than he ever had, said his sister, Beth Davis Walsh.
"He spoke from the heart," Davis Walsh said. "He told appropriate jokes."
Just days after the funeral, Davis got sick. Pneumonia, his foot swelled, and he fell and broke ribs. He quit eating and drinking, was depressed, and died in the hospital.
His family said he didn't want to go on alone. James and Janet Davis did everything together. In her wheelchair, she couldn't reach the stove. She read recipes and her husband did the cooking.
"They were bookends," said his sister, Davis Walsh. "Peas in a pod."
And his wife laughed the hardest at her husband's jokes.
Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
Totally straight-faced, he set it up like a curve ball. Bewildered, listeners would wonder if he was kidding or not, then the punch line hit like a line drive.
"Everything was a joke," said his mother, Barbara Davis, at the family home in Everett.
Humor got him through. Born with a bad liver, he wasn't expected to live to his teen years. At age 17 he suffered a stroke that disabled his left side, ruined his short-term memory and left him with poor eyesight.
Some might say he was left half a man, but when he met his "other half," his wife of almost eight years, they became whole.
Janet Davis had spina bifida and couldn't walk.
Her husband couldn't remember what he had for breakfast.
She died and he followed a few weeks later.
"He said he had been one with his wife," said his father, James Davis. "He didn't want to be just a half."
Janet Davis, from Lake Stevens, died May 1 of heart failure.
James Francis Davis, 44, passed away June 10.
His family said Davis died of kidney failure, but above all, of a broken heart. He is survived by his parents, James and Barbara Davis; siblings Tamara, David, Beth and her husband, Alex Walsh, Tina and her partner, Sheri, and Barbara and her husband Edward Dischner; nieces, Kailey, Chelsea, Nadia Dean and Tabitha; nephew, Logan James; members of his extended family; and many friends.
The family moved to Everett from California when Davis was a toddler. He couldn't play contact sports but excelled in Boy Scouts, obtaining the Eagle rank at age 15.
He was a thespian at Cascade High School and lettered in cross country.
On his 17th birthday, his mother found him screaming from pain in the bathroom. A brain aneurism burst. He was hospitalized for months, surrounded by family and classmates.
During his recovery, his sister, Tina Davis, said their father left silly notes in the hospital for her brother to find.
"To Jamie those notes made his day and he showed them to everyone proudly," Tina Davis said. "It was my Dad's silly notes that, as Jamie would later tell people, gave him his reason to fight."
Classmate Jeanne Moyer-Hayes said drama students were as close as siblings.
"We heard at school that Jamie had a medical emergency and everyone was worried that he would die," she said. "I was so scared to see him in the hospital."
She said he was loved by so many people.
Terri Troy said her cousin kept his sense of humor and tenacity after the stroke. He retained classic family stories.
"Jamie was truly the keeper of our memories," Tina Davis said. "It was as if he had a special place that held everything, from birthdays and anniversaries of everyone in our family, to even the names of fourth cousins."
He wore T-shirts with funny messages, collected ball caps and loved to eat homemade macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Mexican food.
Other loves were St. Mary Magdalen School, where he spent his elementary school years, and shopping at Target, where he always bumped into friends.
He loved to be employed but seldom kept a job more than 90 days. His father said his son talked too much. Through the years, Davis moved in and out of the family home. When he lived in Broadway Plaza he met another resident, Janet Longnecker.
They fell in love, married, and lived in south Everett at the time of their deaths.
Janet Davis died suddenly at the home they shared with Dudley the dog. Davis called his mother to say he couldn't wake Janet up.
At her memorial, Davis spoke more succinctly than he ever had, said his sister, Beth Davis Walsh.
"He spoke from the heart," Davis Walsh said. "He told appropriate jokes."
Just days after the funeral, Davis got sick. Pneumonia, his foot swelled, and he fell and broke ribs. He quit eating and drinking, was depressed, and died in the hospital.
His family said he didn't want to go on alone. James and Janet Davis did everything together. In her wheelchair, she couldn't reach the stove. She read recipes and her husband did the cooking.
"They were bookends," said his sister, Davis Walsh. "Peas in a pod."
And his wife laughed the hardest at her husband's jokes.
Kristi O'Harran: 425-339-3451, oharran@heraldnet.com.
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