Norman Davis

Norman Richard Davis was born on April 22, 1936 in Prescott, Arizona, where he grew up. He served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in what was then the Spanish American Mission in Texas. Following his mission, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Arizona State University, then his PhD in English Literature at the University of Oregon.

While studying at Arizona State, Norm met his wife, Kristine Corry, at an Institute dance. They married on November 23, 1960 and had two children, Sylvia (Pack) and Juliana (Wallace). The family lived in several states through the years, from the Pacific Northwest to the Midwest and Deep South, before relocating back to the Southwest in the 1980s.

By vocation, Norm was a teacher, bookending his career with stints as a professor of English, first at Yankton College in South Dakota and finally at Utah State University. He particularly loved his middle years as a “humanist in residence,” during which he gave interactive presentations on history and folklore throughout South Dakota, Alabama, Kentucky, and Arizona.

While Norm enjoyed teaching and had a great talent for it, his true vocation lay in ministering to individuals. He loved connecting with people one on one, often those in the margins of society, and helping them feel truly seen and loved. Near the end of his life, he devoted years to caring for his wife, Kristine, as she faded away with Alzheimer's. He was, as one of the staff at Legacy House said, “her fierce protector.”

Outside of work, Norm and Kris were avid hikers and cross-country skiers, and they pursued a lifelong love of the arts. Norm had an unfailing curiosity about the world, whether that involved bird watching, teaching himself Greek, or random philosophical conundrums. He could quote poetry for hours. And he had a deep faith despite, or perhaps because of, the need to work through questions.

Norm was preceded in death by his wife (Kristine), his parents (Joe and Alice Davis) and his brother (John). He is survived by his children, Sylvia (Gary) Pack and Juliana (Brad) Wallace, his brother Marvin, his sister Carolyn, 11 grandchildren, and 23 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, May 3 at 10am at the Allen Mortuary of North Logan located at 420 E 1800 N in North Logan, Utah, with a viewing beginning at 8:30am. Burial will be in Mantua, Utah.