Denise L. Davis, 57, a devoted mother, yoga therapist, and mentor to many, peacefully passed away on September 23, 2025 after a hard-fought battle with breast cancer. Born on January 28, 1967 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Denise devoted her life to spreading love, hope and healing all those she could.
After graduating with a Bachelors in Physical Therapy from Northeastern University in Boston, MA, Denise spent many years working in Nursing Homes where she brought smiles and laughter into every room she entered, not only helping to heal her patient’s physical ailments, but also healing their hearts. She went above and beyond with each client she had, often bringing her daughters to play music, paint nails, and read books to the elderly.
Her passion for learning and helping her community did not stop there. She soon discovered yoga, which she combined with her PT knowledge and was able to open her first business, Movement Disorders Consulting. She then opened her second business, Inner Peace Yoga Studio. There she hosted an ongoing collection of free classes which resulted in her meeting what she would call, her tribe. She also held monthly potlucks, movie nights, hosted weekly classes for kids.
Denise was also quite the traveler. She visited Honduras with Doctors Without Borders to provide aide to struggling communities, hiked the Grand Canyon earning the nickname “Desert Ray”, went deep into the Amazon Rain forest in Peru to deliver school supplies to various tribes, spent time at an Ashram with Monks in the Bahamas, and went to Thailand to learn Thai Massage. No matter where she went she touched the lives of all those who got to cross her path.
She also spent a significant amount of time outdoors, where she exclaimed was the only place she felt true peace. She could often be found among the trees with a giant backpack filled with supplies (including bear spray), her dog Hope, and a bucket she called her bathroom.
Denise’s greatest accomplishment though was raising her two daughters, Lena and Jasmine Davis. There was no one in this world she loved more than her girls and somehow even while helping and supporting people all over, she was still able to give her all and more to them; including belly laughs, tickles, and lots of karaoke sessions. Her proudest moments always included her children.
Though her last few months were rough she was surrounded by love from her daughters and her wonderful sister, Darlene, who devoted many years of her life to supporting Denise. The two of them considered each other soulmates, moving through life side by side. Darlene’s love was constant and selfless, and she supported Denise in every possible way, always with a smile and an open heart.
Denise is preceded in death by her father, Dennis Romans. She is survived by her dog daughter, Hope; her two daughters, Lena and Jasmine Davis; her sisters Darlene Woods (Brian Woods), Sharon Schrand, and Betty Moore; her mother, Maria Santiago; her former husband, Jim Davis; and numerous nieces, nephews and friends. A celebration of life will take place in the summer with details to follow. As Denise would say, “Never let anyone steal your sparkle!”.