Obituary of Donald L. Davison

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DONALD L. DAVISON (This tribute was written by Don's loving daughter, Pauline.) My father, Donald Lee Davison, passed away at the Andbe Home in Norton, Kansas, on November 4, 2020, at the age of 86. He was born to Carl and Pauline (Porter) in Lakin, Kansas, on September 10, 1934, in the middle of a dust storm. He weighed 2.5 lbs. He lived the first six months in the bottom dresser drawer. Don graduated from Lakin High School in May 1956. Following his graduation, he enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and later Alaska. While living in Alaska, where he became a bush pilot and weather man and he helped discover the jet stream. On August 10, 1958, Don sobered up and never took a drink of alcohol again. In 1964, he returned to Lakin and in October he met his future wife, Wanda Hawley, on a blind date. They were married in April 1965, immediately moved to Kansas City, Missouri. This union was blessed with two daughters, Pauline and Sharon. In 1968, they moved Lexington, Missouri, and in 1969, they moved to Richmond, Missouri. In August 1976, we moved to Hill City, Kansas, where dad worked as a maintenance man for Dawson Place and the hospital. In June 1978, we moved to Lenora, Kansas, where he worked building terraces and dirt work, remodeling houses and restoring cars among many other aid jobs. In 1987, the family moved to Lake Wales, Florida. Dad went back to college to become a pastor. He got a three-month position at a treatment center and it turned into a full-time job. In April 1992, we moved to Avon Park, Florida, where he worked at South Florida College. In May 1999, he became an ordained minister. He worked at Avon Park Correctional Facility for many years. Following his retirement, they moved back home to Kansas. In June 2012, they moved to Norton where they lived with their daughter and three grandchildren. No one was a stranger to my dad. He has many kids and grandkids he has "adopted" along the way. Due to his health, he moved into the Andbe Home in April 2020. Survivors include: his wife, Wanda Davison, of the Andbe Home in Norton; his daughters, Pauline King, Norton; Sharon (Bill) Avedesian, Avon Park, Florida; five grandchildren, Larry Keith King, Larned, Kansas; James King, Beaumont, Texas; Ricky and Andrew King, Norton; and Anna Avedesian, Avon Park, Florida; one sister, Katherine Miller, Kansas City, Missouri; one sister-in-law, Norma Hawley, Norton; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends. Don was preceded in death by his parents, his step-mother, Lois Stukey Davison, one infant brother, one sister, Velma Kay, two step-sisters, Lois Ann and Edith Ann, and one step-brother, Gordon Dale. Funeral services will be held at a later date and a memorial has been established to the Don Davison Memorial Fund.