Delbert Davis passed away Wednesday, May 8, 2019, in Centralia with his wife, Marcy at his side. He was born in Wenatchee, Wash., Nov. 18, 1932, to Ralph and Thelma Davis.
The family lived in Coulee Dam, Wash., until after Del graduated from high school in 1952. He played football while in school, where he met Charlotte Michael. They were married September after graduation. Del worked as a heavy equipment oiler on construction projects near Coulee Dam. In 1953, his son, Steven was born, quickly followed in May of 1954, by daughter, Vickie.
In 1960, Del moved his family to California, where he obtained a job as a heavy equipment operator on the Oroville Dam construction project. Unfortunately, Charlotte fell ill and passed away of kidney failure in 1965. In February of 1967, he married Marcy Lee.
In 1971, Del moved the family to Centralia, Wash., when he accepted a job with Widco. He operated an enormous dragline digging coal for the steam plant near Centralia. He and Marcy bought a house west of town, near the new high school on Cowlitz Road. Marcy still lives there.
In 1986, when Del was only 55, he suffered a brain aneurysm that his doctor thought would prove fatal. If he lived, he would certainly never work again. The surgeon was wrong on both counts. Del returned to work at Widco the next year and remained there, working the dragline until he retired in 1990.
Del and Marcy loved spending their retirement winters in Palm Desert, Calif. Delbert Davis will be missed.
He is survived by his wife, Marcy; daughter, Vickie Irish of Tigard, Ore.; son-in-law, Greg Lee; granddaughters, Kelly Lemarr of Gladstone, Ore., and Jennifer Dandy of Newberg, Ore.; and great-grandson, Dylan Dandy of Newberg.
