Randy Davis, 62
Cameraman, ABC7
Davis, who grew up in Walnut Creek, has been a journalist for 41 years. He is so tied to the profession and the love of storytelling that he came out of a brief retirement to continue his career.
His personal life has, at times, taken a back seat to the work but never like now. His wife of 40 years has moved out and his two sons, Jack, 32, and Joe, 35, are not happy with him, Davis says.
The split with his wife isn’t permanent, though, or caused by tension. With a new grandchild on the way, they agreed that it was safer for the family if she put some distance between her and her husband, so she could help out with the baby as soon as possible.
“I think my biggest fear is bringing it home to my family,” Davis says.
His sons, Davis says, love him, as he loves them, but they don’t understand why their dad puts himself at risk as an essential worker.
Why, they ask, is he still working?
“Partly,” he says, “it’s because we need the money. But I’ve been a journalist a long time. I did 9/11, I was at Newtown, I was at the shooting in Las Vegas. I’ve been at almost every historical event you can imagine.”
Davis has developed a ritual, wiping down the truck and his equipment with bleach wipes after every assignment. The on-air reporters have started driving their own cars instead of riding with him in the truck, and they keep their distance from each other as best as they can.
“I know my family would probably prefer it if I just said ‘screw it,’ but I can’t,” Davis says. “I feel we have a certain responsibility to the world to be out there. My wife understands that it’s more than just a job.”