Bert M Davis

After a long and painful fight against cancer and several “close calls”, Bert passed away at home on August 20, 2026.

The son of Wilford Merell Davis and Jeannine Morgan, he was born on December 7, 1948. He grew up in Rose Park, Utah and attended South High School. He married Sylvia Gerbic on December 10, 1969.

Survived by sons Jeff (Angela) and Terry (Stacie), and grandchildren Riley, Heather, Kahlan, and Alex.

Bert was an unusual, strong-willed, leap-before-looking guy. How can his life be summarized?

1. Husband
2. Father
3. Army veteran (Vietnam)
4. Dog person
5. Outdoors enthusiast
6. American Red Cross hero
7. Saint Nicholas devotee
8. Bargain shopper
9. Refugee advocate

When diagnosed with cancer, Bert’s goal was to gain as much time as he could to spend with his “adopted” Ukrainian family and to participate in as many more deer hunts as possible. He fought hard and surpassed his estimated remaining time by more than double. His struggle was ugly as the cancer and therapy repeatedly took him through hell and back.

Bert loved being the center of attention and is remembered for his zany pranks and impulsive stunts.

Bert’s happiest memories were of vacationing in Oregon with Sylvia and the grandkids and deer hunting with his best friends Ray and Ruth and their clan. His hunts, however, were more like Halloween-themed tailgate parties. His campfires were legendary. He usually started preparing for the October deer hunt eleven months in advance. His adventuring catchphrase (usually directed at Ray) was “I’ll follow you anywhere!” As a young man, he loved hunting and camping with his friends Lou and Diane. He missed them very much and never did stop telling stories about their trips together.

Bert loved serving the community and volunteering. He said that if everyone did a few hours of volunteer work each week, many of the world’s problems could be solved.

Each week, he transported blood for the Red Cross. He participated in Red Cross deployments where he provided comfort and compassion to people and, of course, animals affected by disasters. Notable deployments included fires in Oregon and California, hurricanes in Florida, tornadoes, and an especially difficult assignment helping children in Texas. He told anyone who would listen all about his Red Cross adventures; especially those where he worked alongside his friend Kathy.

For the past several years, he donned his Santa outfit and volunteered at Christmas events including Air Force family parties, pet-store animal adoptions, and Red Cross blood drives. You might have seen him and his labradoodle Maggie in their Santa costumes driving along I-15 in his bright red Jeep. Despite the freezing temperatures and storms, the Jeep had the top off and was covered in blinking Christmas lights; Twisted Sister Christmas music blaring. He said, “the only way I could attract more attention is if I was on fire”.

Bert certainly made an impact and will be missed.

Special thank you to the amazing people from Refined Hospice for your help at the end. Samantha, Charlene, Anna, Gracey, Michelle, Garret, Wes, and everyone else: We will never forget your kindness. The world is a gentler place because of you.

A viewing will be held on September 5, 2026 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. followed by funeral services from 2:00 to 2:30 at Larkin Sunset Gardens (1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy).