Peter Davis grew up in North St, Paul, MN. The 4th of 5 siblings, he followed his older brothers to the neighborhood outdoor hockey rink, where they played hockey for hours. As a squirt, he was nicknamed “Peter Quick!”, as his coach would constantly call on him to take the puck to the net. He was a lifelong hockey player, coach and enthusiast, who loved to talk hockey anytime he had the opportunity. He passed that passion on to his daughters.
Pete also loved outdoor activities – hunting, fishing, 4-wheeling, hiking, splitting wood, golfing in a men’s league at a public golf course. He spent countless hours in a deer stand and many hours in a boat or ice shack with family and friends. He enjoyed taking his grandchildren on adventure walks, teaching them to identify animal tracks, scat and calls.
Pete worked for the City of St. Paul, MN for 40+ years, having started as a laborer in the Parks Department and retired from St. Paul Regional Water Services as a Field Supervisor. A true public servant, he always answered when called to repair water main breaks. Peter served as a mentor to many colleagues in the water distribution industry. While not having an engineering or construction project management degree, he excelled in construction project management. He was able to quickly assess water main break events, develop action plans and safely execute repairs. During the construction season, he was instrumental in project planning, resource assignment and oversight of multiple projects and external contractor teams, ensuring that the projects were on time, on budget and done right. He always exercised sound judgement and his excellent interpersonal skills enabled him to diffuse often contentious situations involving business owners, facility managers and residents.
After retiring from SPRWS, Pete worked for a private contractor. In his new role, his extensive knowledge of the City of St. Paul water distribution system would provide immeasurable value to his company, as well as enable a successful private sector career, just as he had experienced in the public sector.
On 9/28/2022, Pete’s life was cut short when a careless dump truck driver backed over him on a job site. Pete’s voice was silenced that day, but through the Peter M. Davis Foundation, we honor his memory and continue his legacy of public service.
The Pete Davis Memorial golf event, which accounts for 100% of the foundation time, is funded with a combination of participant fees and donations. Net proceeds from this event are donated to local/regional qualified exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)(3), 170(c)(1) and 170(c)2 whose focus is youth sports, clean water protection/restoration/education and outdoor/environmental outreach and education.