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<p><em>Stephen Frederick Davis</em>, the eldest son of Evelyn Frances Brack and Roy Mardell Davis, was born July 1, 1947 in Colorado Springs, CO. His brother, Phillip, was born in December 1948. When his parents divorced in 1950, Evelyn moved the brothers to Southern California near her family.</p>
<p>Steve’s was a close-knit Navy family. Steve’s father had been a radioman who served at Tarawa. His uncle was a submariner. Two granduncles were sailors, killed in the Pacific. Steve learned about family values and patriotic service early.</p>
<p>Steve watched many 1950s World War II films and documentaries. He became familiar with wartime heroes, noting how many West Pointers were among them. He became fascinated with the 1956 TV series The West Point Story. The possibility of joining the Long Gray Line excited him. </p>
<p>In high school, Steve decided to become the first family member to attend college, but money was tight. West Point became his primary goal.</p>
<p>He had a flair for math and sciences but struggled with an intense fear of public speaking. On a counselor’s advice, Steve added speech and debate classes. Directly challenging fears was a life lesson he never forgot.</p>
<p>Steve played football, wrestled, ran track, entered speech contests, joined student government, and added French to his USMA prep curriculum. Foreign languages would be another obstacle, so he applied to other schools, but another canny guidance counselor urged him to pursue his dream. Steve wrote his congressman expressing interest in West Point. </p>
<p>Cal-Berkeley offered a scholarship, but better news followed. Congressman Donald Clausen offered him a West Point appointment in mid-May 1965. On July 1st, Steve’s bus was rolling up Thayer Road. When the Plain and Trophy Point came into view, Steve was thrilled. His personal West Point Story was underway. It was the proudest day of his life, and it fittingly happened on his birthday.</p>
<p>Steve tackled plebe academics with a grin, despite fierce battles with German. Required to take an extra exam to pass second semester, he finished 101st out of 101 German language scholars, but that is a minor footnote to his Academy career. Steve helped so many C-2 classmates struggling with math and science, his reputation as a willing, effective tutor soared. Steve demonstrated selfless service decades before that phrase became an official Army value. </p>
<p>Army Football played Cal-Berkeley on November 12, 1966. Most cadets watched on Thayer Hall’s closed-circuit TV. At halftime, Steve’s gaze fell upon the lady who would become the love of his life. Miss Margaret Arnold of Garrison, NY was a classmate’s blind date. Steve wrangled an introduction the following weekend. He immediately decided to maximize weekend time with Margie by upgrading his study habits. </p>
<p>It worked. Classmates grew accustomed to seeing them together almost every weekend at games, movies, and hops. On Sundays, he escorted Margie to chapel services. </p>
<p>Steve was seriously in love with Margie Arnold. They became engaged in November 1968 and married in the Cadet Chapel on June 6, 1969. </p>
<p>After the Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, they headed to Germany. Steve joined 2-6th Field Artillery Regiment as a battery XO, rose to battalion adjutant, and finally battery commander. Rapid advances were welcome, but Stephen Jr.’s September 1970 birth introduced them to real joy.</p>
<p>An unaccompanied Korean tour followed, with Steve commanding the 1-42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Honest John) rocket battery. Margie, expecting their second child, waited with Steve Jr. and her grandmother in Providence, RI. Son Bryan’s June 1973 birth prompted noteworthy celebrations on two continents, but family separation was painful.</p>
<p>Steve resigned in 1974, moved his family to California, and began a successful 35-year civil engineering career as a City of Sacramento associate engineer. He earned his first of three Professional Engineer licenses while soaking up core engineering skills, structural engineering coursework, and teaching undergraduates vector mechanics. Steve was a serious engineer.</p>
<p>More blessings followed when twin daughters, Cynthia and Evelyn, arrived in 1978. Steve’s family afforded him boundless joy, a comment he often shared with classmates. </p>
<p>He joined a large water company in 1983 as its engineering manager, soon moving up to assistant GM, Engineering and Business Development. In 1990 he became VP and GM of the company’s Ohio holdings, earning an Ohio State University MBA in 1995.</p>
<p>From 1996 to 2007 Steve consulted for a municipal management and utilities software company. A construction management company hired him in 2008 as senior construction manager supporting the City of Columbus. He retired in 2017 and happily embraced his fulltime role as husband and grandpa.</p>
<p>Sadly, Steve was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. He faced this new battle head-on as he had learned to do so long before. He remained upbeat, courageous…and inspirational. He always credited Margie, their four children, eight grandchildren, and his rock-solid faith. The enemy finally overwhelmed him on July 6, 2021, but he went down fighting, with Margie by his side.</p>
<p>Steve Davis’ Christian faith was profound, its influence on him obvious. The Cadet Prayer was not “Plebe Knowledge” for Steve. His life reflected its words, “Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.” Steve’s family, classmates, and everyone else fortunate enough to have known him will miss him deeply.</p>
<p><em>—Jeffrey M. Donaldson, classmate (C-2)</em></p>
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