James Jeffrey Davies was the only son of Richard and Mary Davies, born in Darlington in the north of England on the 10th of May, 1977. Along with sister Caroline, four years older, he completed the Davies family of four. Richard was a serving member of the Royal Air Force, and so the Davies moved homes frequently. From 1978 until 1982, the family lived in Germany.

Shortly after returning to the United Kingdom, the family purchased their own home in Market Deeping, a small market town in Lincolnshire, England. James and Caroline grew up in Market Deeping surrounded by the love of many aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents nearby. Many weekends were spent as a family exploring the local woods and countryside. In fact, as a boy James was a 'Cub Scout' and later gained the prestigious 'Chief Scout' award.

James also always had a strong link and attachment to his Welsh ancestry. He spent many happy childhood holidays with his grandmother (known as Granny Wales) in Anglesey North Wales. He loved spending the time in the fresh air, exploring the beautiful beaches and deserted coves that had been the play areas of his father when a boy. The scenery and stories of secret beaches were a magical family legacy James looked forward to sharing with his own children this upcoming Easter.

When James was 11 years old, he attended the Deepings Comprehensive School and was an excellent student, being at 18 in the top 5 in the 'A' level results. He gained a place at Keele University reading Politics and Marketing, gaining 2-1Bachelor of Arts degree with honors.
It was at Keele that James met Tamara Lynn Jonuska, an American studying abroad in the UK. An entry in his diary revealed that from the very beginning, he knew "that he had met the girl who would be his future wife."

James and Tami married at Stamford on the 31st July, 1999, and their service was blessed in the beautiful 'Medieval Church' of St. John. Immigration delays caused a painful 10-month separation for the two, but James struck out for America and Colorado on his 23rd birthday, boldly striding through the airport security without a backwards glance.

He arrived in his new home as a banker, and in fact, he was rose to the be assistant manager of Liberty Savings Bank by the time he was 27. Though a whiz with investments, James grew to realize that he was better suited and would find the most fulfillment in law enforcement. In 2006 when he entered the Lakewood Police Academy, the American Davies family was also growing: daughter Chloe was only months old at his Academy graduation.

Over his more than six years on the force, James worked his way onto the Special Enforcement Team. He enjoyed the SET Team's more in-depth investigations into narcotics, prostitution, gang activity and other crimes. He was particularly driven to track sex offenders who failed to register, and he had a passion for and took personal pride in police work and high arrest statistics.

James many times brought his children, first Chloe and then little brother Ethan, around the station to show them what Daddy did – and to show them off to his fellow officers. At home, James enjoyed spending his time reading, researching his family genealogy, making up stories for his children and devouring crisps (which is British English for cookies).

As a boy and as a man, James was a quiet, determined and loyal person. He deeply believed in the quality of friendship, rather than the quantity, and he held those special people dear for life. He was as dedicated a family man as he was an officer.
James is survived by his mother and father, Richard and Mary, sister Caroline and other beloved British relatives, as well as by the family he came to America to create: wife Tami, daughter Chloe, now age 6, and son Ethan, age 2, for whom he would move mountains.

 

 

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