About Us

The Davis Family is...

Mike, Bethe, Gavin, and Elora

Mike grew up on a horse farm in central Illinois, went to high school at Missouri Military Academy (class of '85), and after a short stint at Illinois State enlisted in the Marine Corps. An avionics technician in the Marines, Mike deployed aboard the USS Ranger and was steaming from the Indian Ocean to Australia when Gavin was born. Aside from 8 months and 2 days at sea on the Ranger, Mike also deployed to Japan, Korea, Singapore, Norway, Scottland, Alaska, and Desert Storm. In 1993 Mike was stationed in Washington D.C., while there he pursued his interest in computers, and went from a small bulletin board operator to the first full service Internet provider in the greater Washington area to provide 100% digital access (that's 56K dial up back in the day). Mike left active duty in Feb 1998 and went to work for AlliedSignal Technical Solutions Corp (ATSC) as a field engineer at a satellite tracking station in Southern Maryland. In 1999 Mike transferred with ATSC to the NASA satellite tracking station at Poker Flat Research Range located about 30 miles North of Fairbanks Alaska. In 2008 following the decommissioning of the NASA assets Mike was hired by Universal Space Network (USN) as an operations and maintenance engineer on the two remaining antenna systems at Poker Flat, and at USN's North Pole facility. Mike's hobbies include computers, airplanes, camping & hiking, curling, motorcycles, and shooting sports. Mike is a private pilot, avid model aircraft enthusiast, and is building a Murphy Moose kit aircraft. Mike is also a volunteer with Civil Air Patrol and a mission pilot with the Fairbanks 9th Composite Operations Squadron.

Bethe moved a lot while growing up due to her dad's occupation. Originally from Michigan, she finished high school in Olympia Washington. After high school Bethe spent a year in Europe where she worked as a nanny. After returning from Europe, Bethe worked an assortment of jobs in Washington State before meeting Mike while he was attending technical school at NAS Whidbey Island. A year after meeting Mike Bethe was living the life of a Marines wife, working hard taking care of a new baby and a husband who often wasn't there. Bethe completed early childhood education training and was licensed as an in home daycare provider. Both Mike and Bethe felt it was important for Bethe to be there with our children while they were young. When Mike and Bethe moved to Washington D.C. Bethe brought along the newest member of the family, not even realizing at the time that she was pregnant with our second child. Bethe again worked in child care, and then part time in the public library system. Later she worked in the internet service as a customer support, and the glue that kept everything together. Moving to Alaska coincided with our youngest starting school, so after 1 year in Alaska Bethe went back to school full time. While continuing to be the mother of two children, wife to a night shift worker, and house wife with all that entails, Bethe received her accounting degree with the additional hours required for her CPA, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA! Bethe is now a supervisor and CPA at RJG in Fairbanks, sits on the advisory board at the School of Accountancy at UAF, and is the President elect of the Alaska State Society of CPAs. Bethe's hobbies are camping & hiking, curling, her dogs, motorcycles, and shooting sports.

Gavin came along in May 1989 while Mike was just over half way through a deployment, and as such did not see his father the first time until 3 months later. Gavin's young life involved a lot of moving around, as Mike was often deployed for long periods of time. Moving to Washington D.C. brought the first long term home just in time for school to start. Gavin played soccer and little league, and enjoyed exploring the woods behind the house with his friends. Moving to Alaska introduced Gavin to his best friend Vince, who lived in the apartment below us while we were looking for a house. Gavin and Vince were nearly inseperable for the next several years, with the only interruption being Gavin's attending Missouri Military Academy (class of '07) like his father. Gavin graduating as a 2nd Lieutenant and Third Platoon Leader of Echo Co. Also like his father, after a short stint at University, Gavin enlisted in the military, although the US Air Force instead of the Marines. Gavin is nearly the end of his first tour of duty, and it was a rough duty station for a kid from Alaska... Hickam AFB Hawaii!

Elora joined us in 1994 shortly after we moved to Washington D.C. She spent the first 5 years of her life in one house, with both of her parents home every day, so in a nut shell as completely different as possible from the first 5 years of her brother's life. Elora was not happy at all with the families decision to move to Alaska, and told us in no uncertain terms that as soon as she was old enough she was going to move back to Maryland and buy our old house back! 12 years later, I don't think that's a goal any longer. Elora has been an excellent student from the start, consistently making the honor roll, she is a member of the National Honor Society, and a UA Scholar. Elora has traveled as a student ambassador 3 times with the People to People program. As a senior this year, Elora is weighing her options for college as she pursues her dream of becoming a marine mammal veterinarian.<br/>