Dr. Calvin Armstrong Davenport

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Dr. Calvin Davenport, a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, Army veteran, scientist, and educator. Calvin passed away at home in his sleep on July 1, 2024, at the age of 96. 

Calvin was the youngest child of his parents James Robert and Carrie, and the last surviving male of his father’s 16 children. Calvin enjoyed his status as the youngest child in his huge family, and he fondly remembered his childhood home and their Christmas celebrations. He always loved Christmas and he made annual “mix” tapes of Christmas carols and gifted them to family and friends for decades. 

Both of Calvin’s parents prioritized education and service. His parents and most of his siblings went to Hampton Institute or Virginia State College. Calvin’s mother became a teacher after graduating from Hampton, which was a remarkable achievement considering her parents were born enslaved and neither could read or write. Calvin graduated from high school as valedictorian (like all of his sisters) and attended Virginia State University (VSU), where he earned his Bachelor's (1949) in Animal Science. While attending graduate school at Michigan State University (MSU), he was drafted and served in the Army during the Korean War, completing 8 years of service and receiving the National Defense Service Medal. 

After Calvin's military service, he returned to MSU and earned both his Master’s in Public Health (1950) and his Ph.D. in Microbiology (1963). He graduated Summa Cum Laude in all of his degrees and started teaching. When he was a grad student at MSU, he picked up a beautiful and daring hitchhiker during a blizzard. That hitchhiker was Beverly, a MSU undergrad and the love of his life. They later married in the MSU chapel, and she remained his one and only wife for 63 years.

Calvin enjoyed a long and successful 29-year career as a Professor of Microbiology, teaching generations of students at VSU, CSUF, Rancho Santiago College, and Chapman. At CSUF, he was the Director of the Medical Technology Program, the Director of the Investment of People Program, and Director of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering program. At VSU, he was the Chair of the Microbiology Department. He was a great teacher who mentored many students throughout his career, welcoming international students of all races and religions into his home to experience Thanksgiving and Christmas with his family. 

Calvin was a true gentleman and a scholar who loved people. The late family historian, Mabel Marguerite Davenport, once described Calvin as an “affable, scholarly, energetic and highly energetic young man" with a "strong ego, wholesome attitude, and a highly developed sense of humor." He was brilliant and eclectic. Calvin spent a year studying in a program at the University of Mexico City and was fluent in Spanish. He learned Latin and German. He accepted a microbiology scholarship, turning down separate scholarships for baseball and art scholarship offers. (What kind of person receives scholarship offers for excellence in baseball, art, AND microbiology?) He also declined his admission to Harvard for practical reasons, electing to remain at MSU for his PhD program. (Go Spartans!) 

Calvin was also the Lakers' No. 1 (and probably oldest) fan. During basketball season, even at age 96, he would set calendar alerts on his phone to be sure he wouldn’t miss a single game. He also engaged in highly detailed, informed, and animated discussions of the Lakers roster, individual players, and ownership decisions, with his son-in-law and grandkids by phone, text, and FaceTime. (He disapproved of the Lakers’ baffling decision to hire an inexperienced new coach. In fact, that may have done him in.)

In his younger years, Calvin was also an excellent tennis and chess player. But his favorite hobbies and his greatest passions were researching family genealogy and arguing with his big sister Inez, who said, “Calvin always thought he knew everything, and he generally did!” Calvin also loved gardening and personally micromanaged the maintenance of his beautiful garden, even when he could no longer physically do so himself. He specified when his wife should plant, pick, and water each fruit and vegetable, and kindly explained exactly how his mother would have cooked it. Calvin had a great sense of humor, and he will be missed greatly. 

Calvin was preceded in death by his parents, 7 of his 8 siblings, and all 7 of his half-brothers. Calvin had a deep love of family, and he is survived by his wife Beverly; his two children, Maximillian (a.k.a. Dean) and Lynn (husband Delroy); his four grandchildren, (Christian, Hunter, Connor, and Samantha); his big sister Inez; and innumerable nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and former students.

In his honor, donations to the NAMI Orange County, https://www.namioc.org/, will be graciously accepted. Memories and condolences may be shared below.