BOMBER MEMORIAL

WILSON EARL "TED" DAVENPORT ~ Class of 1965
October 8, 1947 - July 18, 2017

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The following information was written by his sister, Diane:

"Wilson Earl 'Ted' Davenport, 69, husband to Carol Davenport, of Canby, OR passed away on July 18, 2017 in Mt. Angel, OR after a short battle with cancer.

Ted was born October 8, 1947 in Seattle to Wilson H. and Virginia A. Davenport. His two older sisters, Diane ('62) and Lynn ('63), thought he was a teddy bear, thus the nickname.

His family moved to Richland, where his dad took a job at Hanford, when Ted was just two. Ted went to Richland schools and graduated from Columbia High in 1965, home of the Richland "Bombers". During his school years, Ted was very active in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the rank of Life Scout. He continued as an explorer scout, going on many hiking and camping adventures.

After high school, Ted attended Columbia Basin Community College for one year before enlisting in the U. S. Air Force. After training in Texas, Ted was stationed at Kingsley Field Air Base in Klamath Falls, OR. There he met his future wife, Carol Bender. He was transferred to Seiglesbach Germany in March of 1967 and served until March of 1970, when he was discharged.

He married Carol on July 18, 1970 in Portland, OR. They lived in Portland where Ted dabbled in college and worked as an orderly at St. Vincent Hospital. He really couldn't decide on a major, so he re-enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at McCord AFB, then Biloxi, MS and finally at Norton AFB in San Bernardino, CA.

Meanwhile daughter, Kathryn, was born in October of 1972; and son, Wilson Henry, was born in December of 1974.

In 1975, when Ted again processed out of the Air Force, he had decided on a career, Nursing. He studied at San Bernardino Valley College and received his Associates Degree in 1978. He went to work at San Bernardino Community Hospital in the ICU. He loved nursing and in 1997 got his Bachelor's degree at Oregon Health Sciences University.

In 1983, after a trip north to visit family, Ted and Carol decided it was time to get back to the Pacific Northwest. They settled down in Canby, OR where Ted began working at OHSU in Portland in the Intensive Care Unit. When the Cardiac Open Heart Intensive Care Unit began doing heart and lung transplant surgeries, Ted was one of their original crew. Later he transferred to the Angiography Suite where he did conscious sedation for body angiograms. He really loved this job.

Ted was a very giving and caring nurse, and many patients said he was the best they ever had. In 2006, after 33 years at OHSU, Ted retired from his position in Angiography, deciding it was time to work closer to home. He fully retired after spending a year working at Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City.

In 2008, Ted and Carol bought a vintage Airstream trailer and enjoyed camping in it very much. They took many long and short trips all over the western United States. One of Ted's favorite hobbies was Dutch oven cooking! Friends and family from all over will not forget some of Ted's signature meals. No one ever went hungry if Ted made his Hunter Stew, BBQ ribs or Hot Fudge Lava cake!

Ted is survived by his wife, Carol, of 47 years; his daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Ryan Weber, of Seattle; son and daughter-in-law, Wilson and Tami, of Canby; five grandchildren: Emmett and Leon of Seattle; and Emily, Sarah and Wilson E. of Canby. He is also survived by his sister, Diane Davenport ('62), and her wife, Sayre Van Young, of Berkeley, CA; his sister and brother-in-law, Lynn ('63) and Chuck Koenig, of Woodburn, OR; his Aunt Erlene Kirshner (who turns 100 this September); and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life was held at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2017 at Providence Benedictine Orchard House, 550 S Main Street, Mt. Angel, OR 97362. Donations in his name may be made to Orchard House or Providence Benedictine Hospice in lieu of flowers."

His obit was published in the Portland Tribune on August 16, 2017.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).