Event Celebrating his Life Planned
MORRO BAY — Councilmember Robert “Red” Davis passed away peacefully on Saturday, Jul. 24, at his home in Morro Bay. Red is survived by his loving wife Gail Davis and their daughter Catherine Sullivan, son-in-law Pat, and granddaughters Caitlyn and Sara. He was 76 years old.
Red Davis began his service as Councilmember in 2017 and won a second four-year term in November 2020. Councilmember Davis was instrumental, along with his Council colleagues, in moving forward the Water Reclamation Facility, improving the City’s financial condition, and enhancing communication with the community.
Prior to being elected to Council, Red Davis served on various City ad hoc committees, including the General Plan Advisory Committee. He volunteered for numerous community organizations, including the Morro Bay Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Morro Bay Library, and Bike SLO County. Red retired from CalTrans in 1996 as a project manager after 33 years of service and proudly served his country in the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1998, retiring as Senior Master Sergeant.
“On behalf of the City Council, I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to Gail, Catherine, and her husband and their children, and to Red’s many friends in Morro Bay and beyond,” offered Mayor John Headding.
“Red Davis was a wonderful leader and friend to so many. He was a servant leader who worked tirelessly to advance and improve the quality of life of our community as a whole. Red’s strong work ethic, clear and concise communication style and genuine care for our community members enabled him to make a huge impact on important City initiatives. Those included the WRF project, Embarcadero improvements, advancement of offshore wind energy, stabilization of City finances, and the realization of several economic development projects. Red was truly one of a kind, and we are going to miss him greatly.”
“We are grateful to have known and worked for Councilmember Davis as City staff,” said City Manager Scott Collins. “I greatly appreciated his curiosity about how things worked and his kindness. He loved his job and connected so well with the community and City employees. We wish love to his family and friends during this tough time. We hope members of the community will join us in honoring Red’s life and service.”
The celebration of life is planned for Monday, Aug. 9, at 10 a.m. in Morro Bay’s Cloisters Park. Friends, neighbors, partnering agencies’ representatives, community members, City Councilmembers, employees, and volunteers are encouraged to attend this public event, hosted by Red’s family and the City of Morro Bay.
Attendees should plan to arrive early. As Red was an avid biking enthusiast, those who are able are encouraged to ride their bikes to the event. A bike valet will be available to safely and securely park bikes at the park. The main parking lot at Cloisters Park will be reserved for Red’s family members, for those who need ADA assistance, and for event set-up purposes only.
General parking will be available at Cloisters Park in the adjacent dirt field. In addition, event overflow parking will be set up at Spencer’s Fresh Market parking lot (2650 Main Street) to be serviced by a trolley to and from the event. Special thanks to Bike SLO County for donating the bike valet to Spencer’s Fresh Market for offering use of their parking lot to help with event overflow.
Red’s family has asked that in lieu of providing flowers, folks consider donating to Bike SLO County in Red’s name.
“The outpouring of support and love to Red’s family and to the City team since his passing has been absolutely incredible and heartwarming,” said City Manager Scott Collins. “We encourage all of those who were touched by Red in some way to attend this event to honor his life.”
As this event is being held during a time of rising COVID-19 cases locally, unvaccinated attendees should wear a mask, and others may also consider wearing a mask. For more guidance, please review the State of California’s latest recommendations related to COVID-19 and masks.
