John H. Davis

JOHN H. DAVIS, 67, of RUMSON, died Sunday, Nov. 19, at his home on the Shrewsbury River. A leading scientist and executive at AT&T Bell Laboratories, John was a pioneer of digital networks and telecommunications, a beloved husband and father, a devoted paramedic and fireman, and an accomplished yachtsman. Born in Paducah, Ky., the grandson of a steamboat captain on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, his passion for electronics originated in his teens when he began building ham radios with his father. He went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in electrical engineering. Upon graduation, he took a job with Bell Laboratories, as well as earned a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, also in the field of electrical engineering.

John represented a generation of scientists who were nurtured within the Bell System and found ways to serve their country and communities, as well as their company. Within Bell Labs and AT&T, John participated in numerous telecommunications innovations, culminating in his role as chief technology officer of AT&T Communications Services. In his 35-year tenure, he is credited with conceiving the architecture of the Bell System’s major digital switching system (the “5ESS”), the backbone of today’s circuit-switched public telephone network. In the 1980s, he led the installation and commercialization of the first cellular systems in the United States. In recognition of his pioneering work in digital switching and wireless communications, he was elected a Fellow of IEEE and of the Radio Club of America.

Following his career at Bell Labs, each new wave of technology brought new delights. John was a founder and principal of the Technology Advisors Group, CTO of Allied Riser Communications, and principal at GeoPartners Research consulting to senior executives of Fortune 50 companies. He was also a member of several boards of directors, including Novatel Wireless and Acoustic Technologies. John was gracious, radiating the warmth and soft accent of his Kentucky roots. His calming presence was sought out in tandem with his technical expertise. In his later years, he increasingly devoted himself to the cause of young companies and emerging entrepreneurs. He served on the Board of Overseers of the School of Engineering of the University of Pennsylvania. He was a natural teacher and guide. Until the recent onset of his illness, he was working on a plan to form a technology-strategy firm with a mission to educate young technologists. He often reflected that many of his most satisfying experiences were working in teams with the youngest of contributors and conducting chemistry experiments with his grandson. An active volunteer fireman and EMT for over 35 years, John counted as his closest friends his fellow firemen and paramedics. When his illness reached a critical stage a few weeks ago, it was these dedicated friends who scrambled the local ambulance to race John up the Garden State Parkway. It was these same fellow volunteers who brought him home from the hospital this past Friday.

John was devoted to and is survived by his wife, Beverly; his son, Robert of Montclair; his daughter, Christina of New York City; his daughter-in-law, Danna and his grandson Ryan of Montclair. His family was with him when he died Sunday evening in his home on the river where, as a consummate sailor, he loved to navigate the tides.

Memorial donations may be made to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research at (866) 789-1000 and the Fair Haven First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 142, Fair Haven, NJ 07704. John E. Day Funeral Home, Red Bank, is in charge of arrangements.

Viewing Friday, November 24 at John Day Funeral Home in Red Bank 2p-4p and 7p-9p

Funeral Sat. November 25, 1st Presbyterian Church Red Bank