Katherine Davis

Katherine Davis was an artist, a naturalist, a gardener, a learner, a mother, and a friend. She passed away on June 22nd, 2022 at the age of 80, after an unfortunately short but unquestionably feisty battle with lung cancer. For those that knew her, there could be no other way for her to be.
Born in Germany during World War II, Katherine came to the United States in 1948. Her family settled in New York City, but the highlight of her youth was her time attending Windsor Mountain School in Lenox, Massachusetts. The memories she had from Windsor Mountain were some of her fondest and she carried them close to her heart for her entire life.
The dictionary definition of a hard worker, Katherine gave her all to everything she did, whether it was job, hobby, family, or friendship. She spent her entire life learning, growing, questioning, and, more than anything else, loving. After high school came a brief dalliance with higher education, followed by a lifetime of fascinating work experiences so varied they sometimes seemed to come from three or four peoples' lives combined. She was a waitress, a street artist in the West Village, a successful fashion designer, operated a textile mill, managed a law office, wrote and published a children's book – all before giving everything up to be a mother and dedicate her unending energies to her family. She still managed to go back to college during this time, eventually receiving her Master's degree in her 50s and completely restarting her life as a professional, becoming a licensed family therapist. She even achieved her dream of opening a knitting studio on Cape Cod.
Katherine was never happier than being in the garden with a shovel in her hand. Her green thumb was legendary and she often joked that she could plant a broomstick and it would flower. She dug ponds, moved trees and rocks, and generally refused to let the earth tell her what she could do with her flowers and landscapes. Everything was just so, and she took enormous pride in the sense of calm and happiness her gardens gave to herself, her friends, and even to strangers passing by. She also loved birds, especially cardinals, and could catch a frog better than anyone.
Family and pets were closer to Katherine's heart than anything. She moved from her dream beach home on Cape Cod to New Providence where she spent her final years as a devoted Omi to her two beloved granddaughters, who meant more to her than anything or anyone in the world. She is survived by her husband Neil Davis, her son Zach Davis, his wife Denise (Chadwick) and their daughters Maxine and Anna; her brothers Michael and George Hecker and their spouses; her nieces and nephews Steven Hecker, Suzanne Hecker, Serena Hecker, Christine Davis, and Patrick Davis; as well as their families and the countless people whose life she touched in some way through her care and concern. She was no doubt overjoyed to be reunited with her beloved dogs Alex, Dodger, and April.
A private celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any organization that provides loving, compassionate care to children or the elderly.