John Mark Davidson

John Mark “Jack” Davidson, 68, of Hyattsville, MD died peacefully on April 20th, 2023.  He was born in Philadelphia and raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.  He was the son of the late Wilbur and Dorothy (née Smigo) Davidson.  He is survived by his wife, Gail; daughters, Dorothy and Janette; brothers, David, James, Robert; and sister, Janet, and many nieces and nephews.  He is also survived by his stepmother, Jean, and stepsisters.

He was a graduate of William Tennent High School in Warminster, Pennsylvania.  He enlisted into the United States Air Force in 1978, where he was a member of the USAF Honor Guard at Bolling AFB until 1981.  As a member of the Honor Guard, he participated in the Joint Service Honor Guard ceremonies for foreign and domestic Heads of State: Pope John Paul II, President Anwar Sadat, Prime Minister Menacham Begin. He escorted dignitaries at President Reagan’s Inauguration in 1981. He participated in the ceremonial honor guard at the signing of the Camp David Accords September 17, 1978.  He was one of the 52 flag-bearers for the arrival ceremony at the White House for the returning Iranian hostages.   He also provided security for Air Force One. During his active service he was deployed to a number of areas around the world. But the one deployment he always looked back on fondly was his year deployment to South Korea. 

In 1981, he was stationed in Thule, Greenland where he met his wife.  They were married in May of 1982.  Upon their marriage they were stationed in Arkansas where they welcomed their daughters into their lives and the world.  

Once he retired from active duty in 1998, he transitioned from physical security to information security. This is where he worked for several defense contractors doing a combination of physical and information security. 

Although he and his family were proud of his professional accomplishments, John’s pride and joy were his daughters and family. His greatest joy was raising his daughters and watching them grow up. 

John is preceded in death by Wilbur Davidson, Dorothy Ann Davidson, Capt. Richard Sutherland, USCG, and Michael Davidson.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Air Force Air Society. His family strongly believes in giving back to those veterans who need it.