Irene Davis
Irene Dodd Davis, of Riddle Village in Media, died on December 8 from complications associated with Parkinson’s Disease. She was 94.
Irene grew up in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, the middle child of Edward Mills Dodd and Rose Wilson Dodd. Irene’s parents were raised in the Middle East, where their families were missionary physicians and educators. Because her father was the head of the Presbyterian Church Board of Foreign Missions, many international guests visited the family, sharing special cuisine and fascinating stories and discussions with Irene and her brother and sister. Growing up in this socially engaged household, Irene became deeply committed to a life of outreach and service. Throughout her life, she continued to support those who were less fortunate. She lived her commitment, and passed on that way of life to her children and to others with whom she interacted.
When Irene was growing up, she and her family spent summers at Piney Point, their camp in the Adirondacks. This idyllic lakeside setting fostered in Irene a love of swimming, canoeing, and hiking, as well as a general love of nature and animals. Her love of nature led Irene into Girl Scouting, where she cultivated the skill of identifying birds, flowers, and trees, thereby becoming a lifelong “go to” source for identification. After marrying, she and her husband Bill continued spending summers in the Adirondacks with their family, and that tradition has persisted in the generations that have followed them.
Irene’s friends have shared that she was a vivacious teenager and a skilled jitterbugger, cheerleader, tennis player, actress, and poet. She attended Cedar Crest College, majoring in recreational therapy. At Cedar Crest, she continued to act and won induction into the Thespian Honor Society in recognition of her performances in Greek tragedies and other productions. Irene’s creativity also found an outlet in her poetry, which chronicled many life events and the emotions that flowed from them. Throughout her life, her poems were published in local newspapers and organizational newsletters. As a 90th birthday surprise, the Swarthmorean published one of Irene’s poems during “Poetry Month.” And her children presented Irene with a privately published volume of over 50 of her poems.
In Irene’s senior year at Cedar Crest College, she met a Muhlenberg student with whom she fell in love. Family tales of Bill and Irene’s love story abound, including a serenade of “Good Night Irene” by her fiancé Bill and his groomsmen under Irene’s bedroom window the night before their wedding. They were married on August 26, 1950, at Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair. Irene then helped support Bill as he studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia. During that time, Irene taught at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and led classes at the Philadelphia YWCA. After Bill was ordained as a Lutheran minister, he was called to St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Dublin, Pennsylvania. In Dublin, a rural farming community, they learned to cultivate a huge garden, and Irene learned the art of pie-making from their parishioners.
Irene and Bill had four children while living in Dublin. Sadly, in 1961, their 6-year-old son, Mark, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and died shortly thereafter. Irene wrote and published a poignant poem to honor Mark and help her to work through her grief. Later the family moved to Kutztown (St. John’s Lutheran Church), and later still to Phoenixville (St. John’s Lutheran Church). During those years, Irene taught the developmentally disabled for the Chester County Intermediate Unit. She also continued to volunteer, produce church plays, teach Sunday School, swim, play tennis and ping pong, write poetry, enjoy her dogs, and make pies!
After retirement, Irene and Bill moved to Media to be closer to their grandchildren. They joined the Reformation Lutheran Church and actively participated in many programs of outreach and education. Irene became a substitute teacher and maintained a daily exercise regimen, including participating in a woman’s tennis league. She also “adopted” some elderly individuals who were without family. Irene and Bill enjoyed the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Art Museum, and the Phillies. Spending winters in Florida, Irene learned to play golf, continued playing tennis, and taught others how to square dance. She also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, served meals to the homeless, and participated in adult literacy programs. Irene and Bill were always advocating for the disadvantaged, looking for ways to contribute their skills to “make lives better.” When they eventually decided to downsize further, Irene and Bill moved into independent living at Riddle Village in Media. There they met many new friends as they participated in multiple activities.
Irene engaged fully with her grandchildren, teaching them swimming, tennis, and ping pong, and making each one feel special along the way. She planned arts and crafts, and special dress up and acting days. She loved reading with her grandchildren and enjoyed teaching them the family songs. They, in turn, adored being with their “Gram.”
Irene is survived by daughters Ellen Davis Conroy (Tom) and Rebecca Prince Funk (Rob); son Evan Davis (Wendy); eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Bill, her husband of 68 years, predeceased Irene in 2018.
Her family will hold a special memorial service on September 11, 2021, with visitation at 10:30 a.m., followed by a service at 11 a.m. at Reformation Lutheran Church in Media. Please check with the church for potential COVID restrictions before attending. We look forward to honoring this remarkable woman, mother, and dear friend.
Contributions in her memory can be made to the Mark Davis Scholarship, c/o Reformation Lutheran Church, 102 W. Rose Tree Road, Media, PA 19063, or to the National Audubon Society.
