Paul Davenport's Obituary
Paul Davenport 1949-2016
Paul was born in Charlotte, NC on December 13, 1949 to Sibyle Rhea (Sue) Ledford Davenport and Carol Van Davenport. His mother was from Creswell NC and his father from the outer banks of North Carolina. Carol Davenport was valedictorian of his class at the merchant marine academy. Sue had a degree in home economics and taught school. They moved to Baja California during Paul's first years while Carol was in the coast guard. When Paul was 6, they moved to Washington, D.C. And lived temporarily in Paul's uncle's boarding house soon relocating to Baileys crossroads Virginia. When Paul was 5 his brother Richard Aaron was born and 5 years later his brother James Carol.
Paul did well in school and his parents wanted him to be trained in all of the arts as well. He studied art at a young age and also learned piano and dance. He was in a dance troupe through junior high school and taught his own parents ballroom dance. At 13 Paul went to Massanutten Military Academy and remained there until he graduated a Captain in 1967. Paul enjoyed many subjects, loved libraries and books and was involved in several school pranks as well. During summers at home he played in a rock band and sang. In December 1967 he met his future wife, Lera Josephine Worthy on a blind date Christmas caroling. He called her Josie.
Paul was brilliant in school and won a full scholarship in physics to both University of Virginia and the Naval Academy in Annapolis MD. He chose to attend UVA. Paul was very interested in folk and rock music and had many adventures attending the Newport Folk Festival during the summers which he was allowed to attend independent of his parents from age 15 on up. Due to his intense interest in rock and roll bands and also the cultural changes of the 60's, Paul left school and hitchhiked to California. He had a friend send regular postcards from UVA to his parents. While in San Francisco Paul saw all the great rock bands including the Jefferson Airplane, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead.
In 1969, Paul called that girl he had met when he was 16. She called him back and they dated for several months. Out of fear that they would marry, they split up. In 1970 she moved to Colorado in the mountains above Boulder. After army boot camp, Paul went to find Josie in those mountains and they professed their love on God's Rock overlooking Peaceful Valley. They were officially married August 5th, 1970 in Adelphi MD. Paul loved his new family and was always close fiends with Josie's parents Christeline Shankle Worthy and Lionel Worthy. Josie's brother Dorsey Worthy and Paul were immediately best of friends.
Paul and Josie enjoyed playing music together from the start. During the '70s, all types of experimental music occurred in their home and with Dorsey and other friends. Paul and Josie worked for Davenport Insulation from 1970 to the end of 1975 when their son Aaron was born. During that time, they became interested in alternative healing and helped with healing seminars in DC with their music teacher Joel Meltz AKA Horse Badorties. There, they learned about various healing modalities. Josie took a two week massage course, and they both studied shiatsu and herbalogy and began practicing with friends. In 1977 they moved to Floyd VA where Aaron ran wild with his husky dog Nicky. Josie answered her call to go to massage school in 1979 and chose a well known school in Gainesville FL. Paul was in Lee Joseph's first night class in 1980. After a few years of college Paul took over the Anatomy class at the Florida School of Massage in 1984 and was soon the acting director of the school. Paul and Josie bought the school in 1987. Paul designed the A &P curriculum based on Feldenkrais, Krishnamurti and Gestalt communication principles along with his own belief that learning is more effective through play and story telling.
Paul carried on this way supported by a faithful staff community until 2009 when he had open heart surgery. Due to complications and chronic pain, other staff members stepped forward to direct and continue the huge work that Paul had carried. Music remained important to Paul his whole life and he was skilled on a variety of instruments. He and Josie always enjoyed singing and making joyful noises. Recently Paul was learning complicated picking styles on the mandolin as a way of rehabilitating a hand injury.
In addition to his love for playing traditional Irish music, Paul loved gardening and collected watches and loved everything about time and space.
Paul loved his family, friends and the FSM community. He is survived by his wife, Josie, his son Aaron, Aaron's wife Serene, and his grandson James Aaron; his brother-in-law Dorsey Worthy and Dorsey's wife Susan, and his neice Kelsey (his nephew Gabe d 2015). Paul is also survived by his brother Rick Davenport and his nephew Stephen Davenport.
In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorials to the Paul Davenport Scholarship at Florida School of Massage to help fund future students to become massage therapists.
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