GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Breaking the News anchor Jana Shortal shared sad news about a World War II veteran that she was set to profile. Corporal Donald Davis died the morning before they were supposed to meet. Jana in her own words from her Facebook post:
This morning I was pretty excited.
Corporal Donald James Davis was too.
We were finally going to meet to tell his story.
We were going to do it at noon, because he had a big day ahead of him, as tonight he was to raise the flag at the Twins game.
And we were going to do it early because well, Corporal Davis' story had many chapters.
He would tell me about how he graduated high school early over in North so he could go fight in World War II.
He would tell me when he came home how he played minor league baseball.
He would regale me the tale of the time in 1961 when he drew the caricatures for the Minnesota Twins' Program....and then he would tell me how he kept using his art to teach...for 38 years in the Minneapolis Public Schools.
Only by then he was Dr. Corporal Donald Davis, as he got his Doctorate in Education in 1976.
While he taught thousands of students, he coached just as many, with Golden Gloves Boxing and Minneapolis Parks baseball and softball.
And while he wasn't teaching, or coaching, he was doing his most important job on this list.
He was being a father of seven, a grandfather of twelve and a great-grandfather of five.
I really wanted to tell you Corporal Donald James Davis' story tonight on KARE 11.
But this afternoon, after an accident this morning getting ready for his big day and night, Corporal Davis' story ended.
So there would be no interview.
No flag raising.
But dammit all if he didn't teach me, tell his story anyway.
So that is why I leave it here.
Thank you Sir, for our almost coffee today.
And for your lifetime.
Well lived.