Elizabeth Noel Davis

To the Mendocino Friends of Elizabeth Noel Davis:

Sadly, I must tell you of the death of my wife, Elizabeth Davis (Liz). Liz died September 11 in Roseville, California, while a resident at a care home. She was 78 years old and had been in failing health for several years. She is survived by Gene, her husband, her two sons Adam (Leslie), and Tom (Anja), step-daughter Erin (John), grandson Dylan, and brothers Stephen and Colin.

Liz was born in Welwyn Garden City, just north of London, on Christmas Day 1941, during a period of bombings of London in World War II. As a child, her family moved to Ayot St. Lawrence where young Liz befriended that town’s most notable citizen, George Bernard Shaw. Later the family settled in Lincolnshire where they became farmers.

After completing school and studying at the Royal School of Speech and Drama, Liz had a career in theater management which took her all over England. She had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the leading performers and directors of that time. Liz then married , settled down in London and had Adam and Tom. After separating, she largely raised them as a single mother.

Liz worked part-time and to help make ends meet she took on a variety of odd-jobs, including doing door-to-door surveys, and teaching cosmetics. She also did volunteer social work, including for several years for a man named Les who had a passion for chess and who was deaf and missing one leg.

We met in 1982 and married in 1983 when we were both divorced, and I was a Fulbright Exchange teacher in England. Liz courageously moved to America with her two boys and settled in Albany, California where she worked as a teacher’s aide for the Albany School District. While she was thus employed she served on the board of the classified employees union and was president of that body for several terms.

Upon retirement we moved to Mendocino, a place we had visited many times. We moved into the best neighborhood, in the best village in the USA! Here Liz found that she loved cats, gardening, cooking and eating wonderful meals. She helped raise funds for Opera Fresca, hosted festival musicians and singers, and served as a volunteer at the library where she was president of the board for a term.

In short, Liz loved her time in Mendocino and it was mostly because of you – her friends. She loved having you drop in for a cuppa real English tea, seeing you at the library, knowing about your kids, and being your friend.

We, her family, want you to know that we appreciate the parts you played in making Liz’s life rich and happy! No service is planned, no flowers needed, just sometimes give pause and remember the good times…the good times.