Theron Paul Davids, Jr.

Theron Paul Davids, Jr., 77, passed away on August 28, 2009 at the Safe Haven Assisted Living Facility in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.
Paul was born Feb. 25, 1932 in Chesterfield, Idaho to Theron and Florence Davids. He was the oldest of four children (Paul, Duard, Val, and Shirley). He grew up and worked on the farm. He attended grade school at the Chesterfield schoolhouse. He graduated in 1949 from North Gem High School in Bancroft, Idaho.
He attended Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho after high school where he met his sweetheart, Retha Griffin. Paul and Retha were married on May 12, 1953 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. He was drafted into the Army and served two years. They lived in Seaside, California. A buddy in the Army kept coaxing Paul to play golf. After the first nine holes he fell in love with the game and went right out and bought a set of golf clubs. He has been an avid golfer since and was able to establish a one handicap and later on win the Idaho Open Low Amateur in 1968 and 1971. Paul has shared his love of golf with his family and friends. The family has followed in his footsteps and achieved many successes in golf.
He and Retha returned to Rexburg, and there he graduated in secondary education. He was active in many sports while attending Ricks College, including football, boxing, track, and inter-murals. He taught at Madison High School and coached football. He also helped coached JV basketball at Ricks College. They moved to Shelley, Idaho where he taught school and coached for a few years. They had two daughters during these years, Fawn and Tamme. They moved to Pocatello and he taught school while working on his Masters degree at ISU.
They bought the Tumbling Waters Motel and Knotty Pine Café and moved to Lava Hot Springs. He finished his Masters and graduated from Idaho State University. He taught business classes at North Gem High School in Bancroft and coached basketball and wrestling. His teams were always very successful. He loved coaching and was a good motivator! They had three more children while living in Lava, Paulee, T.Paul and Chet. Paul and his family moved to Jerome for two years while he sold insurance for the Horace Mann Insurance Company. Upon moving back to Lava Hot Springs, Paul was hired on in the Pocatello School District #25. He taught at both Highland and Pocatello High Schools and then at Hawthorne Junior High for many years until he retired in 1992. He coached golf at the high school level and loved it. In addition to teaching he had other businesses and operated the family farm in Chesterfield, Idaho.
Paul is survived by his wife Retha; three daughters, Fawn (Kenny) Murdock of Pocatello, Tamme (Joe) Mullett of Pocatello, Paulee (Craig) Larson of Burley, and two sons; T.Paul (Tanny) Davids of Lava Hot Springs, and Chet (Callie) Davids of Lava Hot Springs; a sister, Shirley (Phil) Christensen of Chesterfield and a brother, Duard (Beverly) Davids of Seattle, Washington. He has 13 grandsons, and 7 granddaughters. He was preceded in death by his parents, Theron and Florence Davids; a brother, Val J. Davids; and a granddaughter, Sari Davids.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 in the Lava LDS church in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. Friends may visit with the Davids family, Tuesday, September 1, 2009 from 6-8 p.m. at Horsley’s Marsh Valley Funeral Home, 570 N. Meadowview Dr. in Arimo. (I-15 Arimo Exit #40, located one mile south of Marsh Valley High School), and on Wednesday at the Lava LDS Church prior to services from 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Graveside services will follow at the Chesterfield Cemetery.