We regret to advise of the death of Master Warrant Officer Max Marven Ransford "Randy" Davis, CD (Ret’d) of Truro NS on 7 June 2022 at age 61 years. He served in the Canadian Forces for almost 37 years as an Infantryman and a Construction Technician.
Born in Pembroke ON, Randy, as he was known to many in New Salem NS where he grew up, enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1978 and took his recruit training at Cornwallis NS. From there, he was posted to 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment for a tour that included deploying seven times to Norway and also to the USA. After this posting, Max had a three year Regular Support Staff position with the 4th Battalion RCR.
After nine and half years as an Infantryman, Max remustered in 1987 to Construction Technician with the Canadian Military Engineers. After completing his QL 3 Construction Technician Course at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack BC, he was posted to Canadian Forces Base Suffield until 1992. Promoted to Master Corporal in 1992, Max was posted to CFB Cold Lake AB as a Contract Inspector. While in Cold Lake, he served two deployments; once to the Former Yugoslavia in 1993 and then to Canadian Forces Station Alert in 1994. Two months after returning from Alert, Max was tasked for a deployment to Haiti. Returning to Cold Lake, he deployed to the Winnipeg Flood in 1997.
After Cold Lake, Max’s next posting was as a section commander with the Naval Construction Troop in Halifax. Two years later, in 1999 he deployed with the troop to the Romanian Embassy for two months and he rebuilt Camp Maple Leaf in 2000 with half the troop in Bosnia. The same year, Max was tasked as an instructor.to Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Gagetown for five months. During his tour in Halifax, Max also participated in the building of four bridges that became part of the Trans Canada trail in Nova Scotia as part of our CME Centennial “Bridges for Canada” project.
Upon being promoted to Sergeant in 2002, Max transferred to the Contract Cell and stayed there until 2005 when, upon promotion to Warrant Officer, he was posted to 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in Edmonton AB as the Construction Troop Warrant Officer. In that position, Max deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 as Troop Warrant Officer with the Engineer Support Unit. Max took the Intermediate Language Qualification Course shortly after his Afghanistan deployment and returned to 1 CER as Troop Commander. He was soon off to Jamaica to complete a recce mission and he deployed back there with the Construction Troop in 2007 for five weeks to train as part of TF-1-08, his second tour to Afghanistan.
Max was promoted to Master Warrant Officer in 2008 and remained with 1 CER until he was posted as Detachment Engineering Officer for Detachment Dundurn SK in 2009. After three and half years in Dundurn, Max was posted back to CFB Halifax as the Utilities Squadron Sergeant Major.
Max retired from the Canadian Forces in 2015. Following his retirement, Max and his wife Wendy split their time between Truro and New Salem in the home where Max grew up. Max loved spending time with his family, ATVing, fishing, playing cards and games, listening to Stompin’ Tom Connors, building huge bonfires on the beach and setting off elaborate firework displays to entertain. He also volunteered with Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No 26, in Truro.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 2-5:00 p.m., on Saturday, 18 June 2022, at Royal Canadian Legion, Branch No. 26 in Truro. As Max stated, he does not want people to be sad, but to have a party and raise a glass of whiskey in his name. Private family interment will be held in New Salem at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Max’s memory to Wounded Warriors to support their service animal program are welcomed. Max loved animals and had an interest in training service animals to support veterans. Online messages of condolence may be sent to the family through the funeral home.
