Mary Elizabeth Davis, formerly of Newton Highlands and Sagamore Beach died at her home in Gloucester. Mary was born in Norwood on May 3, 1922. She was the daughter of the late Frank Carroll and Irene Dunne Carroll, and the sister of Eleanor Masce and Frank Carroll. Her brother Joseph Carroll preceded her in death. Mary was particularly close to her Costello cousins, Irene, Jane, Ann and Louise, and to her lifelong friends, Lois Gannett and Rita McKeowan.
Mary graduated from St. Catherine’s School and Norwood High School and received her R.N. from Mt. Auburn School of Nursing. She worked as an obstetric nurse while her fiancé, Russell Davis of Woodville, MA, served with the U.S. Marines in the Pacific. They married in 1946 and were the parents of eight children. In 1993, Mary’s beloved husband of forty-seven years died.
Mary was a devoted wife and mother who never missed a family birthday or anniversary. With her husband Russ, a professor of international educational planning at Boston College and Harvard University, she enjoyed a life of service, travel and adventure in Ethiopia, Nicaragua and India. An avid “news hound” who followed current events, she also cooking and entertaining, knitting intricate sweaters for her family, walking, reading, and relaxing at Sagamore Beach. Most of all, Mary enjoyed being with those she loved.
Mary is survived by her children: Cynthia Davis Sbaschnig (and Robert Sbaschnig) of Annapolis, MD; Christopher Davis (and Antonia Cunliffe Davis) of Oxford, England; Geoffrey Davis (and Beverly Fountain) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Marcia Davis (and Larry Laspesa) of Hamilton, MA; Timothy Davis (and Denise Berryhill Davis) of Fairfield, CT; Russell Davis (and Jennifer Berkshire Davis) of Gloucester, MA; Lisa Davis (and Richard Bugley) of Gloucester, MA, and Ahva Davis (and Shiva Manjunath) of San Francisco, CA. She is also survived by her grand-children, Renee Kannapell and Matthew Sbaschnig; Sebastian and Justin Davis; Nicholas Davis-Laspesa; Katherine, Clara, Ian, Alexander, Gabriella and Lilya Davis; and Jeremy and Patrick Davis, and by her great-grand-children Dylan, Jack and Caroline Kannapell.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Sat March 21 at 9 AM in St. Ignatius Church, 28 Commonwealth Ave. Chestnut Hill. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Interment will follow at Newton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations in Mary’s name may be made to Horizons for Homeless Children, ATTN Honey Chambers, 1705 Columbus Ave. Roxbury, MA 02119.
Arrangements by Eaton & Mackay Funeral Home, Newton Corner.