OBITUARY -- Hugh B. Davis

Former Costa Mesa resident Hugh B. Davis died Monday in Irvine. He was

84.

Born in Riverside on Oct. 16, 1915, Mr. Davis settled in Newport-Mesa

in the early 1920s with his parents. As a youth, his hobbies included

tinkering with radios and cameras.

In 1933, he was part of the second graduating class of Newport Harbor

High School. He attended annual reunions until recently.

Mr. Davis’ roots in the area run deep. His father was manager of the

Costa Mesa branch of the old Bank of Balboa. His mother, Maude, taught in

the local schools for 30 years and had a school named in her honor, Davis

Education Center.

Mr. Davis married his high school sweetheart, Geraldine Perry, on May

21, 1944. Together, they had three children: Dianne, Richard and Roger.

During World War II, Mr. Davis worked for Lockheed Aircraft, wiring

bombers and testing wartime radios.

In 1947, he built a television and appliance store on 19th Street and

Harbor Boulevard with his brother-in-law, Chisholm Brown. It would remain

open for 40 years, relocating in 1963 to 17th Street.

Mr. Davis was very active with the First United Methodist Church on

19th Street. He and Geraldine were counselors in the church’s youth

program.

Mr. Davis also mentored several youths from the church on the inner

workings of amateur radio, more commonly referred to as HAM radio.

Mr. Davis enjoyed water-skiing with the family on the Colorado River.

Since 1980, he worked for Irvine Camera and served as

historian/documentation officer and photographer for Irvine Disaster

Emergency Communications, the city of Irvine’s volunteer disaster

emergency group.

Mr. Davis also developed an interest in computers in the 1970s and

enrolled in local classes so he could expand his knowledge in the field.

“I have always been proud to be his daughter,” Dianne Davis said. “He

is going to be missed by a lot of people.”

Mr. Davis is survived by his sister, a brother-in-law, his three

children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at the First United

Methodist Church, 420 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa.