Maxwell Geoffrey Slingsby Davies

Max Davies, 76, of Greentown, Indiana, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2024 after suffering subdural hematoma with complications after surgery.

Max was born in Perth, Western Australia, to Geoffrey Maxwell Slingsby Davies (d. 1963) and Gertrude St Clare Laverack (d. 1978). He spent his youth on the family dairy farm in Donnybrook, Western Australia, with his brother, Chris. Max’s work in mining and oil exploration in the 1970s took him to Peru in the Amazon Jungle, Papua New Guinea, and then to Egypt working by the Red Sea. In 1978, Max went back to Australia and stayed there until after the birth of his first child, Kelly, in 1980.

Max moved to the U.S, in late 1980, where he enrolled in Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, graduating with Bachelor of Science and starting his electrical engineering career. Max welcomed 2 additional daughters, Barbara and Jennifer, during that time. The family moved around a bit from Terre Haute, to Boston suburbs, to Bloomington, and ultimately settled in Noblesville, IN. Max worked at Delco/Delphi electronics for over 20 years, designing testers for automotive systems. Outside of work, Max was very active with Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination, STEM and creativity focused programs, for middle and high school kids. He also led annual canoeing and camping in the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. After Delphi, Max worked a few consultations jobs, including for Whirlpool in Ohio. Max lived out his retirement years in Greentown, IN, enjoying his backyard, fishing, gardening, bird watching, and grilling. His greatest passion in his final decades was his beloved Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Max was heavily involved in the Rhodesian Ridgeback and Lure Coursing communities, often traveling on weekends to meet up with his friends of both human and canine variety.

Max loved being outside in nature, believing that every kid should know how to use a compass and a map. He loved tricking his daughter’s friends into trying Vegemite, telling them that it was “just like chocolate” and giving them a big spoonful. His dry sense of humor kept everyone guessing if he was serious or not, both close friends and strangers alike. 

Max was preceded in death by brother Christopher David Slingsby Davies (d. 2022) and his beloved dogs (Mtani, Akina, Pinga, Belair). He is survived by his 3 daughters Kelly Sandhu (Sumair), Barbara Marco (Ali) and Jennifer Davies (Adam); 5 grandchildren: Emma, Connor, Rabia, Willa, and Amaya; as well as his nephew Geoffrey (Nicole) and niece Louise (Eduardo) and their families in Australia. 

The family will be having a Celebration of Life at a later time. For those who would like to make a donation in Max’s memory, the family suggests Rhodesian Ridgeback Rescue of the US (https://rrus.org)