Wendy J. Davidson

Wendy J. Davidson, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and sister, passed away on June 14th, 2024, peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family, after her battle with cancer.
Wendy fought a two-year battle with cholangiocarcinoma, a highly aggressive form of liver cancer arising from the bile ducts, with the help of her family and a special team of highly trained specialists at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and at Menorah Medical center in Kansas City. As usual, Wendy beat the odds, as she lived for two years from her diagnosis when the average life expectancy is much less. Throughout Wendy's fight, which involved many aggressive treatments including Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy drugs and a new clinical trial at M.D. Anderson, Wendy always kept a smile on her face and she rarely complained, often being worried more about all of her family and friends than her personal struggle.
Wendy is preceded in death by her loving husband of 35 years, Dr. James A. Davidson M.D. age 63; her son, Andrew James Davidson (Alex), age 32, 1st Lieutenant US Army; her only daughter, Dr. Racheal L. Davidson (Cruz), and her twin brother, Evan S. Davidson, age 29; her granddaughter, Nina Steehn-Davidson; her grandson, Cameron Wiles; and her brother, Robert Henschel.
Wendy was a very special person and the love of my life. She always had a way of bringing cheer and happiness to others and a smile that would light up a room! Her love of animals, particularly her horses, led us to buy a farm 6 years ago which was her happy place where she was surrounded by her family, dogs, horses and birds.
Wendy was born in Chicago, Illinois to parents, Robert Henschel and Joan Henschel (both deceased), on December 5th, 1957. Wendy had a very rough childhood growing up with her one sibling, Robert Henschel. Wendy and Bob were particularly close as their father left them at age 10, forcing their mother Joan to work two jobs, and Wendy and Bob to get jobs at age 12 to help pay bills. Despite everything, Wendy found a way to put herself through college and nursing school by working night jobs until she became an operating room nurse in Chicago at a level one trauma hospital. Wendy was ultimately promoted to be the head nurse for neurosurgery and trauma surgery, and was instrumental in starting the hospitals first pediatric heart surgery program. Wendy met her husband James, a surgery resident at the time, in the operating room at her hospital in Chicago. After getting married, Wendy and James moved to Kansas City, where James became a surgeon at Menorah medical center, Wendy became an O.R. Nurse at Overland Park Regional Medical Center and they both started growing their beloved family. Wendy was loved and will be missed by everyone who had the privilege of getting to know her