Harry Truman Davis

April 10, 1936 – August 24, 2024

Harry, Dad, Uncle/Dad was an amazing man, who lived his faith in Jesus. As we celebrate his life, we are all going to learn more about him and remember of how he impacted our lives.

Harry started his career as a sailmaker. His work with Hood sails resulted in him patenting a number of components for the sailing industry. After leaving Hood, Harry continued to engineer and machine the molds and tooling that produced parts for many industries, semiconductor, medical, defense, and material handling, to mention a few.

Harry started with manual machines and progressed over the years as he acquired CNC machinery that were programmable. Harry taught himself how to program the machines himself.

Janice & John Hildebran met Harry on one of his trips to a foundry where they worked in Maine.

Harry would design and machine precision wax injection dies for all sorts of sailboat components. Utilizing Harry's tools, they would produce beautiful sailboat castings that Harry would then machine & finish.

Janice and John would often visit Harry's and TJ's home on Long Island, Maine. Harry was the Fire Chief. They remember when Harry drove them to the fire station on the island. They all climbed aboard the fire truck and toured the island while occasionally allowing Michael, their son, to ring the fire engine bell.

To this day Janice and John are still running a foundry Hildebran Designs, Inc. and utilizing tools that Harry made for Beetle Cat Boat Co. in Massachusetts.

Steve Edington first met Harry when TJ and he moved up to Ipswich in the early 1990's to partner with his father Bill Vitale.

Bill owned a manufacturing company, Precision Elastomers, which manufactured custom molded parts for industry. These parts were made of urethane and silicone.

Harry manufactured molds and tooling that produced the parts that Precision Elastomers made and sold to a variety of customers. Harry designed all the molds and tooling.

Chris Brown met Harry's stepson, Chris Davis on a plane. They got talking about their business and it soon became clear that Harry might be a valuable resource for Chris Brown's business, piano repair. There were parts needed for repairs that were no longer available. Harry and Chris would work on ideas. They had successes, and a few boondoggles.

In March of 2023 Stu and Cal moved Harry and TJ (mom, Thelma Jane, Janie) to Springfield, GA. It was a new beginning for them and as they moved to what we call the Georgia house. The move brought Harry and TJ closer to more of the family too.

Harry appreciated the large shed in the back yard, which we have learned had previously been a horse barn. It will not be a surprise to many of you that the first sixty feet of that barn was soon converted by Harry, and his grandson Eric, into a workshop. Harry would often say that "if he knew that he'd have this space, he wouldn't have closed up his shop in Ipswich!"

Uncle/Dad/Harry had eight children after his marriage to TJ.

Bobby, his eldest son, remembers how his dad loved sail boats. He was a true sailor and was very capable as a Captain and a Navigator. Bobby remembers making trips up the coast of Maine to Long Island, ME with Dad and Grampa Davis (Arthur) Dad's Father in the late 1960's and early 1970's. They did it in a heavy fog using dead reckoning navigation with a compass and a chart in our 16-foot speedboat. The other time was in a sailboat Heather I, Uncle Al's boat. This time they were stranded in fog at the Isle of Shoals off Newburyport for three days at anchor before continuing. These were fond memories with two natural sailors.

Dad was also a very capable scuba diver. He learned from the best, retired Navy frogmen at New England Divers in Beverly, MA. Bobby remembers being his safety tender when he dove off Bakers 'Light off Manchester in the early 1970's. He experimented with a new communication device for under water. He also tested a new model of lobster motel made of cement.  These proved to be effective in luring lobsters into a new home without trapping them. It would make them feel safe and at home.

Christine, his daughter, shared how they spent hours together in his workshop as she was growing up. He was an amazing teacher. Whatever he was curious about he studied and experimented with it; from electronics, woodworking, glass blowing… he gathered rounded beach stones and cemented them together and created a 2-level birdbath complete with a spout for a sprinkler. He helped her build a soap box derby car which a raced down a hill in Stoneham, Massachusetts. It was a gravity race, so it didn't have a motor. Dad taught her sailing in a 32-foot sloop sailboat and much later in my life I raced a twenty-one' monohull around Philips Lake at Lucerne, Maine.

At one point in our lives, Harry educated all his children on a job. Bobby worked for Dad in his shop at their house in Peabody, MA manufacturing Hood Rings for sails that dad patented with Ted Hood. Stu and Cal assembled the initial electronic components for the stowaway mast at their house in Manchester, MA. Others helped with woodworking, electronics, glass blowing or candle making.

Harry's most recent projects were

1.      his Dolphin molds which Cal would paint onto picture displays.

2.      His marble game which added a level of challenge and was an evolution of Chinese Checkers,

3.      and he was working on windmills for the Georgia vegetable garden.

He also continued to document his daily health in the "Green book." This book became invaluable when his health took a turn five weeks before his heart failed.

Harry was a diabetic during his adult life. He managed his insulin and documented it daily in the book. The book also contained his list of medicines, foods that he ate and other information that would help anyone learn more about Harry. The amazing responders who came to our Georgia house on 8/24/2024 used the information as they attempted to revive Harry that morning. As they were leaving, one of them asked us "What did he do before he retired?"  Our response at that time was that he was a designer and mold maker. We have since learned that he was so much more! He was a man of faith. He loved and appreciated his family. He was a visionary, problem solver, designer, and impactful builder.

Although we will not see Harry anymore, he will remain a part of who we are. We know he is with his family in heaven, and we will all be together again sometime in the future.

Harry is survived by his wife TJ (Thelma, Janie) Davis

Children: Bobby (John) Davis, Christine Davis, Arthur Davis, Cheryl Davis (wife of deceased son Paul), Cal (Carolyn) & Stu Durland, Chris & Cheryl Davis, Jayne &Joel Watters, Mary Ann & Stephen Kussmaul.

Cousins: Marion & Wilfred Ulmer, and their children Jeff Ulmer, Steve Ulmer – daughter Eliza, Rich & Karen Davis, Judy & Rich Baldwin, Rob &Danielle Davis, Amy & Erik Johnson

Grandchildren: Bryan Durland & Lance Davis, Eric Durland, Justin & Abbey Durland, Nathan Davis, Riley & Mickey Padovano, Elise Davis, Jonah Davis, Jessica Davis, Christopher & DiAnna Davis, Jessica & Chris Thompson, Jennifer Watters DoCanto, Jamie & John Olsen, Joel & Kristen Watters, Staphany & Jonathan Miro, Stephen Kussmal, Remington Kussmal, Tristen Kussmal.

Twenty-two great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Donations:  The family asks that you donate to the American Diabetes Association in the name of Harry Davis. https://diabetes.org/