Peter Davidson
March 3, 1934 - June 22, 2023
Boise, Idaho - Peter Davidson passed away on June 22nd 2023 of heart failure. His great grandfather, C.W. Moore founded Idaho First National Bank in in 1867. His father was Lionel Kay, a pioneer aviator and one of Charles Lindbergh's early instructors. Lionel worked for Varney Airlines and flew the first night mail flight from Pascoe, Washington, through Boise and down to Salt Lake. That trip was memorialized on a mural in the office of the secretary of state in Idaho's capitol building.
When Peter was three, his mother was divorced and remarried to Robert Davidson. At age 14, Peter spent the summer in Idaho City panning for gold with his friend, Stan Rhees. They took out enough gold to allow him to start saving for his first airplane, a purchase that would shape his life. Growing up, he spent summers in McCall at the family cabin on Sylvan Beach. His stepfather, Charlie Davidson, developed a public garden that featured ponds, fountains and statuary. Peter's garden memories were not so fond because he spent most of his time there trundling dirt.
Peter joined the navy at seventeen and became an air traffic controller stationed in Great Falls, Montana where he met and married Nancy Cameron and adopted two children, Glen and Lisa. While stationed In Gulkana, Alaska, he acquired a law degree and became a district court judge to an area roughly the size of Illinois.
In 1955 he moved back to Boise and took a job as an air traffic controller at the Boise airport. On weekends, he had an overnight paper route from Boise to Seattle.
In 2002, he reconnected with his long lost sisters Marvene Jackson and Jane Littlewood and Jane's daughter Wendy Walch.
Following his divorce from Nancy, Peter married Arlene Warner. Together, they created the Sylvan Creek Foundation. As chairman of the board, Peter guided the foundation in giving to such Idaho organizations as Idaho Humane Society, Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Boise State Public Radio.
He is survived by his son Glen, Glen's ex-wife May and their sons, Sean and Rian. He is also survived by his wife Arlene and her children Lorca, Regan, Austin and Paul and their respective children: Raymond, Katie, Paul, Beth, Connor, and Marshall.

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Published by Idaho Statesman on Jun. 30, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
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3 Entries

George Jane Howard

November 26, 2023

Peter Davidson and my mother, Jane Faire Kay, shared the same father - my grandfather Lionel Duane Kay. My mother moved to the UK in her teens where she would meet and marry my father. They lived and raised a family in London. During this time I remember my Mum frequently recounting stories of her early life in Peru and that "somewhere, probably around Boise, Idaho" she had an older half-brother called Peter Davidson. This was the era of 'snail mail' and I remember in the mid-1970s writing a number of letters to the US authorities in a failed attempt to find uncle Peter. Some 30 something years later (and now with the aid of the internet!) my own sister, now settled in the States, finally tracked him down!! I think I met Peter on three occasions - the first time was in the UK, in Norwich, when he and Arlene visited my parents; the second was at my home in Brittany where my husband and I hosted a 70th birthday party for my father; and the third occasion was when he and Arlene attended my parents' golden wedding anniversary in Devon in 2008. Finding uncle Peter was an absolute thrill for my mother and her two half-sisters Marvine and Marie. Dear Arlene - we are so sorry for your loss, but it was a delight to finally meet you and uncle Peter after all that time! Sending you all our love from France, George, Tony and Millicent xxx

Pat Carter

July 6, 2023

Arelene and family,
So sorry to learn of Peter's passing.... Mom so enjoyed both of you and your kindnesses to her the years she spent around you two! Prayers for comfort, good memories, and lots of dear memories......
Pat Carter, Herta's daughter

Dave H.

June 30, 2023

RIP my friend, fond memories of our elk hunting trips to the Dana Ranch.

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