Ian Carl Davies' Obituary
Ian Davies was born on February 20, 1994, in Tacoma, Washington. Ian died on August 13, 2023. Ian lived at Mt. Rainier and Yosemite National Parks with his parents until age four, when the family moved back to Tacoma, where Ian spent most of the rest of his life. When Ian was six, he welcomed his baby sister, Emily. The two of them had wonderful adventures with Mom and Dad over the following years, rock climbing in Leavenworth and Joshua Tree, hiking in Mt. Rainier and Yosemite, and beach combing the Olympic Coast.
Ian attended James Sales Elementary, and Heritage (formerly Jason Lee) Middle School. He graduated from Foss High School in 2012. Ian was involved in music, playing in both band and orchestra in middle school. Ian participated in the International Baccalaureate program and excelled in Russian Language while in high school.
From kindergarten through his senior year, Ian was very active in Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout award when he was 17 years old. During these years he accomplished a 50 mile hike up the Olympic Coast, a 50-mile canoe trip on Lake Jefferson, and a 100-mile bike ride. For his Eagle Scout project, Ian and a crew of fellow scouts built a new log bridge over a creek on the historic Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier.
After high school, Ian wanted to be in the mountains as much as possible, beginning with a volunteer job for the National Park Service at Paradise at age 18. Ian worked for Mount Rainier Guest Services for two summers and Yosemite Concessions for two summers. Ian spent three winters at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort, and two winters at Keystone and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado. Ian loved to ski! During his first winter at Crystal, Ian clocked over 90 days on his ski pass! During this time, Ian was also a Washington Conservation Corps volunteer for a year.
After his last winter in Colorado, Ian returned home with plans to attend trade school and obtain a welding certificate. In the last several years, Ian has had a number of different jobs, finally landing with a company that builds and installs pool tables. Ian loved building things, and he really enjoyed this job.
Ian loved to tinker. He worked on cars and lawn mowers. He took apart broken appliances, and sometimes put them back together. He built things out of wood, carved walking staffs, and dreamed of the things he would create during his life. Ian loved Legos more than just about anything else in the world, except maybe Star Wars. From about age of three, Ian loved all things Star Wars. He collected Star Wars toys and memorized Star Wars dialogue.
For the last four years, Ian has shared his life and his love with his partner, Ciata Cooper, who loved him deeply in return, and gave him so much joy. Together they adored Alex, the cat Ian got in 8th grade, and their kitten, Ray. Ian had also become close with Ciata's parents, grandparents, and little brother.
Ian is survived by his parents, Ken and Christine, his sister, Emily, his half-sister, Jennifer, as well as his grandfather, Vincent Hart, aunts and uncles, Fred Davies (Sherrie), Ann Knutson (Jerry), Janet Todd (Mark), Liz Hart (Tim), and cousins Steven, Michael, Chad, Kyle, and Amanda, along with their spouses and children. Ian is preceded in death by his grandparents, Herschel and Patricia Davies, and Kathrine Hart, and his cousin, Aubrey Bean. Ian leaves behind so many people who will miss him terribly. He
had a huge heart, and was such a kind and interesting individual, that everyone liked him immediately.
Ian lost his battle with depression and mental health issues, and we all hope he is finally resting in peace. If you are dealing with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help can be found by dialing 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reaching out to a trusted friend or other individual.
A celebration of Ian's life will be held on September 23, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. at Tacoma First United Methodist Church, 621 Tacoma Ave. S. Ian's big heart loved individuals of every sort, and we want every one of Ian's friends and family to feel welcome, share stories and photos, and share a meal afterward.
What’s your fondest memory of Ian?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ian?
Share a story where Ian's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ian you’ll never forget.
How did Ian make you smile?