Lawrence Preston Davey

DAVEY, Lawrence Preston

October 2, 1936 - October 16, 2022

Preston Davey of Victoria, BC passed away after a short illness on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at the age of 86. Preston is survived by his dedicated wife of 59-years, Joyce (nee Adair), daughter Robyn (Scott) of Calgary, and son Aaron (Cristina) of Vancouver. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Marion and Athol Davey, and sister Barbara (Maurice) Nolin.

Preston was born and raised in the farming community of Antler, Saskatchewan. He enjoyed baseball, curling, and hunting. In 1962 he met Joyce at the Sinclair MB curling rink and immediately took her home to meet his parents. They married in the following year.

Preston was a progressive grain farmer who implemented farming methods and technology that were far ahead of their time. He co-built a seeder prototype in the 1970’s using compressed air for seed distribution, a technique now the norm in farming. This led him to working with a Winnipeg-based manufacturer to market and sell the Super Seeder across North America.

Preston moved the family to Winnipeg in 1979. During his time in Winnipeg Preston became an avid golfer maintaining a single digit handicap for much of the next 20-years.

Joyce and Preston moved to Kelowna in 1986. Preston walked the golf course daily and sold condos for a local developer. In 2007 they retired in Victoria. It was a city that had made a substantial impact on Preston in the 1950’s when his family visited.

Preston was a social person who was always greeted by name. He was inquisitive, continually learned from others, and challenged conventional thinking. Preston was issued USA patent Pneumatic Seeder Assembly, 4,024,822, on May 24, 1977.

Preston’s family would like to thank his home care companion, Sarah, and the physicians and staff of Victoria Royal Jubilee Hospital for the great care they provided Preston. No funeral at Preston’s request. Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society are welcome in lieu of flowers.