Dexter Clayton Davidson's Obituary
Dexter Clayton Davidson was born on January 8, 1925, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was the younger brother to Edward (Ned) born just 2 years and 3 months earlier in Washington, DC.
Dad's early childhood was marked by tragedy when his father passed away suddenly from an acute illness when Dexter was just 7 months old. His mother Stella took the boys to live in Ohio for several years.
In a letter written in 1984 to his niece, Marsha, Uncle Ned (Dad's brother) shared a few of their childhood memories: "the happy, snow-filled winters we used to enjoy in Cincinnati, Ohio, sledding down the long hills there on the 2 matched sleds that Dr. Daddy (as they affectionately called their grandfather) had bought us."
Their mother also took her sons to live for a little while in Jordan Station, Ontario, Canada to her birth home. We remember Dad telling us of picking lots of fruit over the summers to send to the cannery. Again, Ned writes in his letter to Marsha: "there are many happy memories: cherry picking on Mother's old family property, eating real farm meals at Bruce Haynes' farm after shocking wheat all morning, swimming in Lake Ontario in Toronto....or playing ice hockey the next winter in a Toronto park on a well frozen pond".
During their high school years, Dad and Ned moved from Canada to Washington, DC to live with their grandparents, Mama D and Dr. Daddy. Their grandfather, a medical doctor, practiced across the street from where they lived at 512 Capital Drive, just down the street from the White House. We recall Dad telling us that he and Dr. Daddy often went on medical visits to patients' homes along with his grandfather's 2 Brittany Spaniels riding along in the back seat of the car!
Dad and Ned also spent happy days at Dr. Daddy's summer cottage near the Chesapeake Bay where they sailed and the 3 of them would "arise early and go fishing for their breakfast in the Doctor's old rowboat".
Dexter followed his older brother into the Navy. He then completed (like his father before him) his engineering degree at Georgia Tech. From there, he moved to Dallas, Texas for his first 'real' job and then met Mary Jeanne Tyson at Park Cities Baptist Church. They married in 1950 and raised 4 children.
Dexter worked for Stone Company as a sales manager in the heating and air-conditioning business for many years before starting his own company in the early 1980's called D and L Air Conditioning. He ran a very successful business until his mid-70's when Dad finally decided to retire. He then volunteered in the schools as a math tutor (well into his mid-80's), continued to play tennis, took continuing-ed math classes at Brookhaven College, played more bridge, enjoyed time and travel with his close friend of more than forty years, Mary Ann Puckett, and made cookies for his grandchildren which he delivered weekly to Robert's, Hudson's, and Bethany's classes. All told, Dad made these cookies consistently for 16 years.
Dad was a devoted father and grandfather and along with his steady ways and ready smile, his kindness and loving faithfulness, he will be greatly missed.
We love you, Dad!
Marsha, Susan, and Jim
Dexter is survived by 3 children: Marsha J. Page (Bert), Susan L Davidson, James C Davidson.
Grandchildren: Robert Page (Heather), Hudson Page (Laura), Bethany Olmstead (Jack), Meredith Mogan.
(Scott), Andrea Pollock (Eks Wye), Laura Steiner, Kyle Steiner, Benjamin Davidson
Great-grandchildren: Lacey and Amber Page, Ellorie, Justus, Hollis, and Thayer Page, Micah, Garrett, and Lana Mogan, Ivy and Quinn Pollock
Mary Jeanne Tyson
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