Anne F. Davis

FAYSTON - Anne Frances English Davis, age 86, died May 9, 2016, at the Berlin Health and Rehabilitation Center, Berlin, Vermont, following a long illness. Anne was born to Harry and Harrietta (Freydoz) English on Feb. 18, 1930, in Hackensack, New Jersey, and grew up in Tenafly and Englewood, New Jersey.
Anne attended private school in New York City. Because Anne's mother was French, she brought Anne and sister, Beatrice, to visit relatives in France on several occasions during her childhood. Anne learned to speak Parisian French fluently.
Following high school, Anne attended art school in New York City where she also modeled. Her modeling career gave her the opportunity to appear on the first television broadcast in color of the Bob Hope Show.
In 1957, Anne married architect and contractor Barclay Davis. The couple moved to Vermont in the early 1960s, designing and building their barn house on the 50 acres they owned on Bragg Hill in Fayston. Together Anne and Barclay designed and built other homes in the area as well as operated their small farm until Barclay's death in 1969. After 40 years living in Fayston, Anne moved to Barre, where she lived until moving to Heaton Woods, Montpelier.
Following Barclay's death, Anne became interested in aviation and learned to fly gliders and small, fixed-wing aircraft. A lifelong vegetarian, Anne had a passion for food and cooking. She spent many happy hours perfecting recipes for her gourmet vegetarian cookbook, "Dining with Delphina," which she published in 1987. Under the pseudonym Ellen Parham, Anne also wrote a book called "Baby," an autobiographical account about rescuing a motherless fawn.
Anne's art school training and flair for interior design inspired her to decorate her own home and the homes of her friends, though she did not pursue interior design as a career. Anne also enjoyed art and painting, various fiber arts, gardening and horticulture, and building twig furniture.
Anne was especially close with Beatrice and spoke by phone with her sister every day. Her many friends remember her gentle, refined manner as well as her intelligence and continuous curiosity to learn more about the world around her. Anne was raised in the Roman Catholic faith, but she attended Williamstown Lutheran Church, Williamstown, Vermont, for a number of years.
Anne is preceded in death by her husband, Barclay; sister, Beatrice; and nephew, Lynn, Beatrice's son. She is survived by Barclay's nephews, Dean Brendel, James Brendel and Dennis Brendel.
At Anne's request, there will be no calling hours or funeral service. Cremation arrangements are through Guare and Sons Funeral Home, Montpelier.
Donations in Anne's memory may be made to the Central Vermont Humane Society located in East Montpelier.