Robert “Rob” “Robbie” Lee Davie, age 61, of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, passed away on Friday, February 2, 2024. Rob was born July 3, 1962, to Robert and Nancy (Metcalf) Davie in Mount Vernon, WA.
When he was five years old, his beloved sister, Laura (Lori) joined the family. As a child, Robbie was her protector. When it was time for Lori to choose a new horse, Robbie insisted on riding it first to see how well it handled before allowing his little sister to get on. Although Robbie could ride horses, his love was sports— waters sports and of course, baseball. He started playing baseball in Little League when he was seven and continued playing pitcher or shortstop through adulthood earning MVPs with one award even being presented by local celebrity ball player, Ray Hauser.
As an adult, baseball continued to be a large part of Rob’s life. In addition to being an avid Mariners fan, Rob worked as an assistant and head coach in California, Burlington-Edison and most recently, in the Sedro-Woolley School District as varsity coach. Rob taught many life lessons on the field, encouraging sportsman-like conduct and helping each player to do his best, while letting “his boys” know the value of a good education.
Through college, Rob worked for various retailers, including Radio Shack and Bed, Bath & Beyond. He also spent a summer fishing on his uncle’s boat in Alaska. His job at the Sedro-Woolley Lumber Yard was one that Rob would return to during the summers, even after college. Other employment Rob had was as a personal trainer at Gold’s Gym and a clerk at Chase Bank. Most of Rob’s professional career was spent teaching high school Math and English. Whether in California, Burlington-Edison, or Sedro-Woolley, Rob invested in his students, especially those who were at high risk. Rob supported his students’ unique needs and created courses of study to ensure that each was able to earn necessary credits to graduate. Many students received diplomas that were made achievable through Rob’s dedication. His students all meant a lot to him.
During summer vacations, Rob enjoyed the warm weather and did fun things like swimming, biking, and water skiing with his nieces and nephew. Rob was a loving uncle, and even vacationed with Lori’s family. During his years in California, Rob lived on a houseboat. Antique cars and going to car shows also brought Rob enjoyment. Throughout his life, Rob had several dogs. In his last years, Duke was his loving companion. Rob treasured life-long friendships with his close classmates who were with him until the end.
Rob was a longtime Seventh-day Adventist and carried out his responsibilities as a deacon even throughout his illness. He loved his small group Bible study and grew in his faith. Rob was a loyal and devoted friend, brother, uncle, son, and church member.
He is profoundly missed by his mother, Nancy (Metcalf) Davie; sister, Laura Beuse; brother-in-law, Jeff Beuse; nieces, Kilee (Brandon) Samora and Kassidee (Cody) McKnight; nephew, Kyle Beuse; great-niece, Paityn Samora; great-nephew, Grayson Samora; aunts, Frances (Terry) Pitt, Linda (Joe) Lindholm, JoAnne (Roy) Rathvon, and Elena (Mark) Harp.
He was preceded in death by his father, Robert DeForest Davie; grandmothers, Marie Balzar, Muriel Young; uncles, Mike Metcalf and Rick “Jethro” Balzar.
Rob’s family wishes to express sincere appreciation to the many teachers, students, district staff, loyal friends and church members who called, visited, and expressed loving wishes of support. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, March 2, at 4 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Seventh-day Adventist Church. Share your memories of Rob and sign the online guest register.
Rob was one of the best teachers I ever had, made a huge impact on my life and I’ll never ever forget him. My favorite memory with him is when we would share the love of god. He was truly a good man who will be missed dearly.
Our sincere condolences to Robbie’s family and friends. I played baseball in El Segundo with Robbie and clearly remember how much of a competitor he was, but equally a gentleman the entire time!
Coach John Thurmond: It is impossible for me to write a proper tribute for my friend Rob in a paragraph but I’ll try. We have been friends for the past couple of decades. It started as coaching buddies but turned into more as we spent time together off of the field as well. Super Bowl Sundays at my house became somewhat of a tradition for us that I will cherish. Coaching alongside and against RD for years I grew to respect and love him as a man of integrity, unwavering faith, and loyalty. He loved baseball but even more than that he loved those he served, his players. He truly wanted the best for and from everyone. He was an example of toughness, grit and tremendous work ethic. His passion for work was contagious as his blue collar approach to life rubbed off on those around him. He loved his family more than anything else. Robbie will be missed by all. I am forever grateful for the friendship I had with Rob and will miss him always. Rest easy Rob knowing you always did your part and more.
Coach Jim Clem: When thinking about Rob Davie, the first thing that comes to mind is how much I’m going to miss him. Rob was a very dear friend, who was also an outstanding coach. We spent a lot of time together, especially during the spring and summer baseball seasons that we coached together. Rob was a confidant of mine, a true and trusted friend. I’ll never forget him and the good times we shared. He had an infectious laugh, he was a lot of fun, he was also a tireless worker, and a man of integrity. Regardless of where he was teaching/coaching, he was great for kids and colleagues alike. He loved coaching baseball, helping players with their skills, building them into a team, and competing side by side with them on the field. Rob was also a friend of the family, Annette, Zach, Jacob, and my parents Frank and Vera all loved Rob. I’ll close with “ thank-you Rob for being such a wonderful person and friend…” I can never thank you enough for being such a treasured friend to me, my family, and all the lives you touched.
Coach Arturo Vivanco: Rob Davie – What a wonderful man! He was such a good man and role model for our players and students. There are very few people in our profession that loved the game of baseball and loved working with kids more than Rob. My greatest memories besides his friendship was his eagerness to continue to learn more about all aspects of the game of baseball. He never stopped asking questions and finding ways to make his players better on and off the field. Coach Clem said it best when he said that Rob was a great friend to our family. I can honestly say that my sons and I were better for having him be part of our lives. Rest in peace my friend.
Coach Jim Gutierrez: What I remember most about Rob was when we coached together and that his ambition and energy was contagious. Every time that I’d show up at the ballpark he was there to greet me with a strong firm handshake and a ” how the heck are you today?” It didn’t matter what was going on or what kind of day it was, if we had a bad day as a team the day before or if it was pouring rain outside. That guy was solid. When I first met coach Davie we hit it off immediately, solid baseball guy and just an all around good dude. After a few years of coaching side-by-side I learned that Rob had a rubber arm and could throw BP day in and day out no problem, he never seemed to get a sore arm. I thought that I had a rubber arm until I met coach Davie. Rob was an L.A. guy all the way and we’d talk Dodger baseball all day long. As a kid I had always dreamt of pitching in the Dodger home whites in Chavez Ravine. I loved the 80’s Dodgers and I’m going to miss all the conversations about those teams. Tell Tommy Lasorda hi from me!
Coach Herb Lehman: Rob Davie aka RD was a friend, colleague, and mentor. Robbie competed at everything he was involved in. As a teacher and coach, he taught me the importance of being prepared and putting your everything in what you do. Coaching with him, you could see the love he had for the young athletes he was around. Always giving advice and stoking their competitive fire, he created individuals and teams that would never back down from any challenge. I’m thankful for the time I got to spend with my buddy RD and I will do my best to pass on his love for competition.
Coach Cameron Munro: Rob Davie lived a life that made other people richer in so many important ways. He was a serious man, yet found ways to not take everything too seriously all the time. He would push boundaries with his passion and intensity. His passions were the right ones—his love of all things baseball, facing and overcoming setbacks, thriving in the face of what life brought his way, relentlessly chasing opportunities. RD made me smile, made me laugh, made me scratch my head. He made me a better coach, and he made my life richer by having the good fortune to have worked with him and known him. Much love to you brother.
Coach Tito Vivanco: I was lucky enough to have Coach Davie as a coach, coach alongside him, and coach against him. He loved baseball so much that no matter where his professional career choices took him, he always came back to coaching. He was a great influence on me as a player and coach because of how he carried himself. You could hear in his voice that he genuinely cared about what he was doing. Coach Davie was able to be intense without being intimidating, which I feel made him one of the best. I miss him now and I’m sure I’ll miss him a little more every Spring on the ball field.
Coach Dustin Roth: It’s hard to sum up what a person means to you with a few short words, especially someone who had so many great qualities. One of the great qualities that Rob possessed was how generous he was with this time. He was willing to give so much of it to so many others, knowing it’s something none of us ever get back. He loved the game of baseball at a level most never understand and he shared that love and the knowledge that came with it with such passion, you couldn’t help but get swept up and enveloped by it. He made you want to be a better player and most of all a better person. Once I had some time away and the perspective that comes with it, I realized that was his goal the entire time… To not only share with you his love of the game, but to help guide you in a direction worthy of the time he spent sharing it. Ultimately, the time he had with us was cut short, but not before his goal of helping the young people he taught and the young men he coached become the kind of people he could be proud of, and I know he was to me, to me, Rob was larger than life. Someone easily admired and looked up to as a young ball player. As his friend and fellow coach his passing means it’s up to the rest of us to continue to give that one thing more precious than anything else, our time. Thank you Coach for the time you gave to me. Rest easy… To the Top!
Coach Scott Jensen: Coach Davie was one of a kind. If there was ever a role model you would want your children to look up to, it was him. It was a tremendous honor to play for him and have the opportunity to coach baseball under him. This man genuinely loved being a positive influence in athlete’s lives and was born to be a baseball lifer. I’ll miss talking about the LA Dodgers and life. I love listening to stories about Rob from my Dad, so I guess I will have to listen to a few more until I see him again. My favorite thing about Coach Davie was that he had a relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you Coach, for the passion, enthusiasm, and being a great human being. Love ya Coach!
Coach Adam Thurmond: I first met Rob Davie as a sophomore baseball player at Burlington-Edison High School. He was a new coach to B-EHS and I was a young player trying to figure out my role in the Tiger Baseball program. He was a fantastic assistant coach for a kid like me. He was extremely encouraging, positive, passionate about the game and loved to jump in and share his knowledge. Like great coaches do, he would help me to see where I needed to improve, while helping to build my confidence, helping me to recognize my strengths and how to build on them. When I pitched, he made me feel like I was the best around. About a decade later, Rob and worked together in the car business. I was able to see a different side of him. Rob cared about people and always wanted to do the right thing. He was honest, caring and truly had the best interests of others in mind always. I love Robbie and I will miss seeing him around the ballpark and around the community where he definitely left his mark. He was a very good coach, but Rob was even a better person. His loss will be felt by many!
Coach Bill Calkins: The Tiger Baseball program has consistently reinforced the important motto to our student-athletes “To the Top” It‘s a well respected analogy that teaches the positive life lesson’s of Self Confidence, Courage, Honesty, Responsibility, Impatience (with self, not others), Determination and Enthusiasm, to name a few. Our dear friend Rob Davie lived all of these positive life lessons and shared them through the lives of all of his student-athletes. Rob Davie has made it “To the Top” This just in…. Rob has been selected to Jesus’ All-Time Hall of Fame! We love you Robbie, we miss you dearly and may God Bless You!
My condolences to “Robbie’s” family, friends, students, teammates, and everyone who loved him. I knew him from the Sedro Woolley school days and remember him as a good student, athlete and friend. I’m not surprised that after our time he continued to make a difference as a coach, athlete, teacher, friend and person. I’m confident he left a lasting positive imprint with so many people on life’s journey. May our wonderful memories bring comfort.
Robbie and I were friends from the 1970s all through life. Practically grew up together, living nearby each other in high school then attending college together at WWU in Bellingham. After classes at Western he’d often come over to my apartment and we’d go shoot baskets evenings at Sehome High School’s outdoor court nearby. Or go eat at A & W which was still around back then in Bellingham. Or go to Boulevad Park along Bellingham Bay. We seemed to always be doing something together back then at college. We took a road trip to Los Angeles one summer, then in 1987 another college friend Bruce, Robbie and I packed up and moved to a apartment in Playa Del Rey near the beach in the LA area. I visited him on his boat later on at Marina Del Rey. He always liked cars and antiques. He admired my grandparents old 1950s black and white tube tv that they had quit using and it set upstairs stored at their house. So we ended up giving Robbie that old TV set and he took it to Armstrong’s and got it working again. A lot of good times and memories. Quite a loss. I last chatted him last Fall and he didn’t mention he was this sick. This was a shock to me his sudden death. Nancy, Lori and Jeff and family, you’re all in my thoughts.