Theodore Clifton Davis Jr.
S/SGT in Signal Co, Special : Radio A
Military occupational specialty: 766 (radio operator, high speed, manual)
ASN#11097621
Born 1921 in ME, Died 1996
County of residence at enlistment: Cumberland County, ME
Other residence(s): Portland, ME
United States Army, European Theatre of Operations
Occupation before the war: semiskilled mechanics and repairmen
College education before the war: 1 year
Ted Davis was born on December 4, 1921 in Portland, ME. He was an only child; his father was a "telephone man" with the phone company. He graduated from Deering High School in Portland in 1939 where he was a member of the Chemistry Club, and Captain of (and a letter winner in) the Cadet Corps. His yearbook reports that he was quiet and well-liked. He enlisted on October 15, 1942, reporting that he had a year of college and that he was working in the category of "semiskilled mechanics and repairmen" with the phone company.
He was eventually assigned to the role of radio operator in the Signal Company Special, and saw service in Europe during the war. After release from the Army in 1945 with the rank of Staff SGT, he returned to Portland and his job with the phone company.
He married Doris Hamilton on July 7, 1947 and they would go on to have three children: Charles, Pamela, and Patricia.
Ted lived his whole life in Portland, outside of that stint in the Army. He and his father both worked at the phone company—by 1958 his father was plant personnel supervisor.
Ted worked his way up the ranks from teenage mail boy to garage man, cable splicer, reconstruction man, installer, repairman, and foreman at New England Telephone, the position from which he retired in 1982.
According to his charming obituary in the Portland Press Herald, he "made use of his telephone skills even after his retirement. For his grandchildren's enjoyment, he hooked up a telephone system in his cellar. 'The Children's Museum . . . used to call him to fix their telephone switchboard that the kids used,' said his daughter."
Ted also had a workshop in his basement where he repaired all kinds of things, and he built an elaborate model railroad system. His train village included lights, whistles, and bridges, and his own hand-painted scenery and buildings, including a KFC, a McDonald's, and a hardware store. He also enjoyed building World War II era model airplanes.
He died on May 28, 1996 and is buried at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland.
Photo:
1939 high school yearbook (see link below)
Sources:
1930 census
1939 Deering HS yearbook
1940 census
1942 Portland city directory
1942 enlistment record
1947 marriage record
1953 Portland city directory
1958 Portland city directory
1963 Portland city directory
1980 US public records index
1996 Find a Grave record
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/187522292/theodore-c.-davis
1996 Social Security applications and claims index
1996 obituary in the Portland Press Herald (ME)