Douglas A. Davidson

Douglas Arlow Davidson, AKA Doobs, 63, of rural Orient, died Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, after a courageous and brave battle with that bastard, cancer. Celebration of Life Services will be 1 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 23, at Pearson Family Funeral Service, 809 W. Montgomery St., Creston. Mr. Phil Price, Orient Church of Christ, will officiate. Open Visitation will be from 10 – 12 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, where family will receive friends prior to the service at the funeral home. Following the service there will be a luncheon at the Eagles. The family requests you wear NASCAR or racing attire.

Memorials may be directed to the family, for future designation. Online condolences may be left at www.pearsonfuneralhomes.com.

Douglas Arlow Davidson was born July 6, 1962, the son of Arlow and Linda (Porter) Davidson in Boone. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and graduated from Boone High School in 1980. In high school he played trumpet in the band and participated in baseball. In 1980, Doug and his brother Steve won the pickup class at the Boone County Saddle Club. Doug’s senior year of high school they built a house in shop class and that is where he learned about construction. Doug had several jobs while living in Boone including a paper route, Fareway, the Boone Bowling Alley and a Hiland Chip route.

Doug’s first marriage was in 1981, and he became a proud father to Katie, Nick and Kayla. In 1984, Douglas moved to Creston to manage Letts Bowl. Eventually he purchased the business, renaming it Davidson Bowling Center. Over the years, Doug also ran the Pizza Shack and Dads Sports Bar and Grill.

Doug was an avid bowler and participated in state and national bowling tournaments. Doug had bowled several high games in league and tournaments but it was never about the score. Doug was about making the sport better and meeting new people. Doug was passionate about mentoring young adults through the junior and high school bowling programs. He played a key role in helping get the high school program started and running for years to come. Doug was a bowling coach at one time for the SWCC bowling team. Doug was able to drill a bowling ball with his eyes closed.

In 1995, Doug married his soulmate and love of his life, Kristie (Conley) Davidson, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Little White Chapel. They had three boys: Chantz, Triston and Jase. Together they built a beautiful life with love, laughter and family. Doug designed and helped construct their family’s forever home, located just northwest of Orient.

In May 2010 Doug purchased Thompson’s Conoco in Orient. Doug renamed the store Orient Express since the baseball player Dazzy Vance was from Orient and was known as the Orient Express. Doug loved history and finding deeper meaning in all of his projects. Doug expanded the grocery section of the store where ladies in town would do their grocery shopping. Doug was even known to purchase special request items for his regular customers. Doug owned and operated the store for 12 years and sold it during his battle with cancer.

Over the years, Doug was also a custodian at Orient Schools, owned and operated his own cleaning business, was a mail carrier, worked for housing rehabilitation at SICOG and was the owner of Two Rivers Pool Supply. In 2010, he won the write-in as Orient mayor, but couldn’t accept due to a conflict with his position at SICOG. Doug served on the Adair County Conservation Board and the SICOG board.

Doug was always about helping the youth at Orient-Macksburg schools and was awarded the FFA Honorary Chapter Farmer Award in 2017. Doug attended many field trips, and school projects with the kids were his favorite thing.

Doug knew no stranger, and was always ready to drop everything to help his children or friends. Back in the ‘90s Doug enjoyed helping his dad and brother Steve build a dwarf car, which they raced at both Boone and Stuart for many years. Doug had several hobbies including raising chickens, turkeys and ducks at home, camping, golfing and fishing. He took a yearly fishing trip up north with his sons, father-in-law and other family members where several unforgettable memories were made. He also loved cheering for the Hawkeyes, spoiling his grandchildren and his granddogs and singing the wrong words to songs very confidently.

He watched a lot of YouTube reels, and was always looking on Facebook Marketplace for his next project. Doug was handy with any project and was always willing to make Kristie’s honey-do list come to life. He was always up for a concert and loved to take Kristie to her favorite: Sugarland.

He loved attending auctions and going hunting at Goodwill with Kristie, where he often found what we called “conversation pieces” to have around the house. Doug was a huge fan of NASCAR, dirt track racing and went on fun family trips at different tracks near and far. He was a smart man who was both handy and full of knowledge, however, could not spell to save his life. If swearing were a sport, Doug would’ve gone pro. His honesty wasn’t always welcomed, but you never had to guess where you stood with him. His biggest accomplishments in life were his 30-year marriage to his loving wife Kristie, his children and his grandchildren.

Every nurse he saw would ask him how many kids he had and he would smile proudly and say “six” and would go on to tell anyone who would listen all about his kids and grandkids and all their accomplishments.

He faced cancer bravely and while his sickness and treatment never scared him, he could be known to shove Kristie in front of him if a bat was flying around the house.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife and best friend Kristie; his children: Katie Davidson and partner Ryan Thu of Creston, Nicholas and wife Mary (McCracken) Davidson of Adel, Kayla Brown and husband Nathan of Creston, Chantz Davidson and partner Melody Hartz of Orient, Triston Davidson and fiancee Madilyn McNamara of Winterset and Jase Davidson and fiancee Kaylee Larson of Iowa City; his brother Steve Davidson of Des Moines; his sister Janelle and husband Keith Good of Boone; father-in-law Dean Conley of Nevinville; seven grandchildren: Kenna Brown, Vienna Rullestad, Collins Brown, Claire Davidson, Izzy Davidson, Crue Davidson, Molly Davidson; several nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Preceding Doug in death were his parents: Arlow and Linda Davidson; mother-in-law Lucy Conley and his grandparents: Fred and Martha (Eckoff) Porter and Chantz and Alberta (Bass) Davidson.

He will be remembered for his big heart, quick wit, huge smile and unwavering love for his family. Doug lived life fully - with a laugh that could fill a room and a loyalty that never wavered. He was an inspiration to many, never losing his sense of humor, positivity and deep love and faith in God, even during the toughest portions of his battle. His presence will be deeply missed but forever cherished in the hearts of all who knew him.