Lorne Davey was born in North Vancouver to Frank and Martha Davey October 8, 1911. His father was a shipwright who started his career with Wallace Shipyards; he became foreman of that company's yards in North Vancouver, then superintendent of the William Lyall Shipbuilding Company. Davey attended Queen Mary School and completed three years of high school at Vancouver tech. He went to work for Burrard Dry Dock in 1919 in general stores, becoming apprentice machinist the next year. From 1934-1935 he served as engineer on the "Neptunian" and the "Gothic Star" and during the next years combined periods of time working for the B.C. Patrol Vessel repair plant with being engineer on the "Prince Rupert", "Empress of Russia" and "Prince George". He worked for Burrard as a machinist, a machinist charge hand, and a machinist assistant foreman from 1939 to 1951, and as an industrial estimator from 1951 to 1956. Subsequently he became Assistant Superintendent of Ship Repairs until his retirement in 1976. In his spare time he liked to fish and was a good amateur photographer. He married Marion Davey, having two children, Pamela, and Phillip, who has worked at Burrard.