Commander David Lloyd Davies, Jr., USCG (Ret.), 90, of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and Ellenton, Florida, formerly a 50-year resident of Hadlyme and other ports of call throughout his military career, died abruptly at his home in Ellenton, Florida, on Dec. 31. He was the only son of David Oswy Lloyd Davies of Brooklyn, New York, and Catherine Amelia Shane of Easton, Maryland, and the beloved grandson of Representative Joseph and Josephine (Lewis) Shane (“Joe Shane’s boy”)  of Easton, Maryland,  and David and Mary Olwen (Lloyd) Davies of Brooklyn, New York. He was the husband of 66 years to “Betsy” (nee Betty Louise Martinson) Davies.

Cmdr. Davies attended Johns Hopkins University and graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s class of 1943. He was a 20-year veteran of the Coast Guard, serving throughout the Pacific Theater in World War II, the Korean War, and North Atlantic patrol.

Upon retirement, he received his MA in education while teaching mathematics at Valley Regional High School in Deep River. He was a strong advocate for all students of diverse backgrounds, many of whom remember him to this day. He retired from teaching in 1981, after 15 years.

 Cmdr. Davies will be missed by everyone who knew him. He was a gentleman in the purest sense of the word, a trusted friend, and an all around good and kind neighbor. Extending his Coast Guard career into private life for years during retirement, he was frequently seen, binoculars in hand and life jacket at the ready, on Tinker’s Island off the Massachusetts coast, ensuring safe boat crossings in heavy seas of friends, fellow islanders, his family and their guests.

Besides his wife, he is survived by five adored children and their spouses, Lynne and his wife Barbara, David and his wife Jaffa, Robert and his wife Barbara, Jean and her husband Virgil, and Lauris and her husband David, as well as 12 beloved grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.  

A memorial celebration of his life is planned for spring 2011. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Boy Scouts of America (http://www.scouting.org); or to The Children of Kibera Foundation (http://childrenofkibera.org/); or to the American Heart Association (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/ ).