Richard Davis Credit: Courtesy Rick was a true Renaissance man. Over the course of his 76 years he lived an active and involved life. Fresh out of the Quaker Friends School in Baltimore, he became involved in the peace movement in New York City in the late ’60s, counting a number of activis ts such as Abbie Hoffman, Igal Roodenko and Bayard Rustin as his friends. At 19, Rick was clubbed by a policeman at a protest, and Philip Berrigan put himself between the teenager and the cop. Rick hid the scar on his face from that encounter with a beard for the rest of his life. Rick competed in archery, built race cars and raced successfully in Canada, becoming one of Canada’s top Formula Ford drivers. He worked in the Adirondack backcountry as a ski instructor and with search and rescue and taught cross-country skiing at von Trapp Family Lodge, Jackson Touring Center and the Balsams. He was hired at Lane Series at the University of Vermont, becoming assistant director and bringing in top-notch talent from all over the world. He raced kayaks and knew how to repair vintage canvas canoes. An avid fisherman, he fished for salmon in the Gaspé and “amused fish” in numerous northern streams. While at Lane Series, he became interested in guitar making, so he bought a kit from Martin. That sparked another career, which led to beautiful acoustic guitars that are in the hands of serious players around the world. Rick edited the magazine Guitarmaking and ran conventions for the Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans, as well as teaching guitar making classes in Seattle and in Italy, which led to the launching of numerous luthierie careers. He is featured in the book Guitar: An American Life by Tim Brookes. Fencing foil became his passion at the age of 60. Even though one does not start out at a new sport and become competitive at that age, he did. He was actually invited to join Canada’s Vet Fencing team but, sadly, had to decline, as he was not Canadian. Rick was a joy to have in any gathering, with his good nature, humble attitude and wry wit. All the people who had the good fortune to spend time with him will miss him terribly. He is survived by his wife, Catherine Fox, and his stepdaughter, Natalia Hamilton. If you want to donate in his memory, might we suggest the ACLU or your local NPR station. A celebration of life for Rick will be announced by his family in the near future. Honored to be serving the Davis family is Rett Heald of the Heald Funeral Home, where messages of condolence are welcome at healdfuneralhome.com. The post Obituary: Richard Davis, 1949-2026 appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less