Walter Junior Davis

The blizzard was so profound on May 13, 1921, that the egg-sized hailstones broke the windows of the room where Walter Junior Davis was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho, and his life was a whirlwind of activities and accomplishments from then on. In fact, he once attributed his long and blessed life to being born on Friday the 13th. He died peacefully on July 6, 2024, at the age of 103, in Provo, Utah.

Walt was the second child and oldest son born to David Walter and Emily Lorraine England Davis. The Davis children were taught the importance of work and service from their early lives. His only sister, Elaine Kearns Groth, was an Idaho State Legislator for many years. Walt and his brothers, Jim, Warren, Ralph, and Jerry, all served in the United States military in both World War II and Korea.

While attending Ricks College, Walt met the love of his life, Myrle Chantrill. They were married July 22, 1942, in the Logan Temple, two weeks before he was inducted into the U.S. Army.  Myrle was able to travel with Walt for some of their early months of marriage as he attended school in the Army’s special program to train engineers. He served overseas in Calcutta, India, from 1945-46 as a teletype specialist. After he returned home, they lived in Rexburg, ID, Salt Lake City, Pacoima and Woodland Hills, CA, and St. George, Provo, and Orem, UT. Walt and Myrle were married 57 years before she passed in 2000.

During his stint in the Army, Walt and Myrle welcomed Lorraine into their world. Four sons followed: Blair, Jay, Glenn, and Brian. And their second daughter, Michelle, brought symmetry to their family, an important concept to mathematically-inclined Walt!  Walt loved to learn, and he especially loved mathematics. In fact, in a letter to his family from the Army, he wrote, “I can’t get calculus out of my blood. It’s the most fascinating math I ever saw.  You can work the ‘impossible’ with calculus.” Later in life, his love of numbers continued as he developed his own computer programs.

Soon after graduating from the University of Utah, Walt was hired by Lockheed Aircraft and began his 36-year career as an aeronautical engineer in Southern California. Joining the aviation industry on the ground floor, he indeed worked “the impossible” as he was responsible for many innovations at both Lockheed and Hughes Aircraft. Some of his major accomplishments were designing control systems for the Surveyer, the first lunar lander, and aircraft such as the L-1011 and C-5. Some of his designs are still in flight today.  After Myrle’s passing, Walt met and married his second great love, Geraldine Lystrup, on July 12, 2000. They were able to spend 24 years together, and both were loved by their blended family.

Walt was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having served as Bishop and High Councilor in Woodland Hills CA and Patriarch in three stakes in both California and Utah. He and Myrle also served Family History missions in London, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and Provo. He once said, “I love and honor the Priesthood. I know it is the authority to act for God and have witnessed its marvelous power.” His testimony has been and will continue to be a blessing to his posterity.

Walt is survived by his wife Geraldine; 5 children, Lorraine Wallace, Blair (Susan), Glenn (Gloria), Brian (Marian), and Michelle (Robert) Walz; daughter-in-law Susana; two brothers, Jim and Ralph (Jeanine) Davis; sister-in-law Sue Davis; 33 grandchildren, 87 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Gerrie’s children: Tom Lystrup, LynnEl Springer, Cheryl Johansen, and Patti Knowlton. He was preceded in death by his wife Myrle, son Jay, son-in-law Olani Wallace, stepson Michael Lystrup, 2 great-grandchildren, 2 brothers, and a sister.

Funeral services will be held Friday, July 19, at 11:00 in the Suncrest 10th Ward chapel, 600 West 100 North, Orem. Viewings will be held at the Sundberg-Olpin Mortuary, 495 South State, Orem, Thursday, July 18, from 6-8 PM, and at the Suncrest chapel from 9:30-10:30 Friday morning. 

Condolences may be expressed to the family on this page.

For those unable to attend the services they can be viewed by clicking HERE