Richard Glenn “Dick” Davey, who spent years behind the scenes refining glass-manufacturing practices and volunteering for political candidates, died March 3 at Hospice of Northwest Ohio. He was 89.

He suffered complications from a recent stroke, family members said.

During a lengthy career as an engineer at Owens-Illinois, Mr. Davey invented four processes and systems used to manufacture glass, one of the legacy cornerstones of Toledo’s economy. The patents span from 1976-87 and include a glass-molding process with mold lubrication; a constant oil-to-water ratio shear spray system; an automated control process for glass container manufacturing, and a molten glass gob-delivery system.

But behind the density is the quest to always create efficiencies in large-scale glass manufacturing. For example, the gob system — a gob is specific amount of molten glass used before it is shaped into a bottle — was meant to make the gobs all arrive in their molds at nearly the same time. Temperature is key to glass work.

Mr. Davey co-wrote a chapter in the Handbook of Glass Manufacture, a reference guide for glass production.

He was also one of the behind-the-scene volunteers who make local politics happen. In 1979, political newcomer Judy Jones decided to run for a Toledo Board of Education seat after an unsuccessful attempt to passg a levy. She turned to Mr. Davey, who was active in local campaigns and was friends with her husband, the late Millard Jones, who was a University of Toledo professor and consultant for O-I.

Mr. Davey coordinated the vital activities at the heart of local elections: creating and distributing leaflets, working with volunteers, door-knocking, fund-raising, and more.

“We used a lot of yard signs, and in those days, you had to hammer a wooden stake into the ground and staple the sign on, which is really quite a job,” Ms. Jones said.

Ms. Jones lost that race but did well enough that the board appointed her in 1980 to a vacancy. She eventually became president of the board, then served three terms on City Council in the 1980s and returned to council in the 1990s. She later served on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio by gubernatorial appointment.

He continued to help Ms. Jones with local elections for years, she said, and was active with other campaigns.

“He was dedicated and was really generous with his time,” Ms. Jones said.

Mr. Davey was born Sept. 8, 1931, in Toledo, and was a graduate of DeVilbiss High and the University of Toledo, from which he received a degree in mechanical engineering.

He stayed involved with the UT Engineering Alumni group — an extension of the university’s Alumni Association — and served for a time as its president, his family said.

He served for about four years in the Navy during the Korean War aboard the U.S.S. Orion, a submarine tender, before returning to Toledo and working at Owens-Illinois.

Mr. and Mrs. Davey had a summer cottage they called the Blueberry Patch at Lakeside in Ottawa County, and they spent more than 30 years summering there. They were members of Epworth United Methodist Church in Toledo.

Mr. Davey is survived by his wife, Barbara Davey; son Derek Davey; daughter Sarah Kleiner, and three grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Epworth United Methodist Church, 4855 W. Central Ave.

The family suggests tributes be made to the church or a charity of the donor’s choice.

First Published March 16, 2021, 4:00 a.m.