Catherine "Kitty" Louise Davis

Catherine “Kitty” Louise Davis was born 19 September 1930 in Baltimore, MD. She was the eldest child of 9 children born to James Edward Kline an electronics technician at the Bendix Corporation facility located in Towson, MD and Catherine Rose Kline a homemaker. She lived and grew-up in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, including residing on Cross Road and Silver Spring Road in Perry Hall-Nottingham, MD. She attended and graduated from St. Joseph School in Fullerton, MD in 1944. St. Joseph School at that time was held on the first two floors of the St. Joseph Church Convent located on Belair Rd. She had fond memories of growing-up and both sharing with and caring for many of her younger sisters and a brother; on occasion going with her father to the horse-racing track in Havre de Grace, MD; and attending a few baseball games along with her father at the Baltimore baseball field on 29th street in Baltimore City (prior to the Baltimore Orioles arriving in 1954 and prior to the building of Memorial Stadium. However, she did enjoy watching and rooting both the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Colts, and later the Baltimore Ravens with her family throughout her life!).

She was a proud graduate of The Catholic High School of Baltimore class of 1948 and enjoyed attending TCHS reunions and seeing classmates from her completed high school program of studies emphasizing English, Latin, and sciences and mathematics. She was reportedly the first to graduate in her family from high school. Following her graduation from The Catholic High School of Baltimore she worked for two years (1948-1950) at the Baltimore Sunpapers full-time in the Proof Room Department, assisting with daily and weekly and weekend paper copy-editing. Shortly after initiating working at the Baltimore Sunpapers she met James “Jimmy” (or Jim) F. Davis, of Highlandtown (Baltimore, MD).

Jimmy Davis worked in the Baltimore Sunpaper’s nearby Composing Room as a linotype machinist, a position which he held for greater than 49-years (1943-1992, including while serving in the U.S. Army during WWII for more than a year), until his retirement from the Baltimore Sun in 1992. He has been a member of the Sunpaper’s Printer’s Union #12-101 (formerly Typographical Union #12) for greater than 75 years and counting, as he remains a member to this day.

Kitty and Jim met at the Baltimore Sunpaper’s at the water fountain, located immediately outside the Proof Room Department and the Composing Room Department. In fact, even today Davis family legend & lore colloquially describes that “Mom & Dad” met outside the “House of Correction” (the Sunpaper’s Proof Room Department, where newspaper copy-editing was conducted, was at that time and to present affectionately referred to by Jimmy Davis as the “House of Correction”).

Soon after meeting, while Catherine Kline was with Jimmy Davis on a “double date” with fellow Baltimore Sunpaper’s co-worker Chester Marciniak and his date Eileen Bare, it was Chester Marciniak who strongly suggested that Catherine needed a nickname and he suggested the nickname “Kitty.” Kitty was a nickname that Jim started using all of the time and that she liked and it remained with her from that time onward throughout her entire life, so much so that many persons do not know that her first name is Catherine.

Kitty married Jim Davis on June 17,1950 at Saint Catherine of Seina on Preston Street in Baltimore, MD. They had a strong and faithful and loving marriage which lasted greater than 71 years, and until her passing (17 June 1950-7 Sept. 2021). Together they had nine children – Philip, Charlie, Joanne, Eddie, Fran, Paul, Clare, Juanita, and Ray. Kitty loved her husband, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She stated that “My husband and my children are my treasures.”

On July 4,1952 Kitty & Jim along with their first child, Philip, moved into their newly built home on Slater Avenue in Nottingham, MD. This home is where she and her husband and growing family have resided for 69 years. Also, during that same time-period Kitty and Jim and their family were members of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Fullerton, MD. Kitty had been an active member of St. Joseph Church & School for approximately 81 years.

She also loved and had a passion for and enjoyed camping (primarily tent camping), going to state parks (in MD, PA, and other states), backyard picnics, hiking, taking walking, outdoor nature, taking her children on overnight or weekend-long “mystery trips”, gardening, cooking, baking, backyard cook-outs or other type meals and events, crab-feasts, birthday parties, and planning and enjoying holidays with family. She very much pursued and enjoyed actively participating in church and religious organizations, activities, and programs; volunteering to help others, and providing for and caring and enjoyed sharing with her family. Also, she enjoyed reading. In fact, in her later years she had a strong interest and often read the latest newsletters and other available materials about various subjects involving medicine, medical advancement, and pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.

Kitty forever cherished her many family vacation tent-camping trips, including a farther away than usual trip one summer for 2 weeks through the Blue Ridge Mountains to Great Smoky Mountains National Park & to nearby Cherokee, NC; taking annual summer 2 week-long tent-camping vacations traveling to and one or more different state parks (often PA state parks); taking a total of three 6-weeks or longer camping & van adventure trips across the United States from the east coast to the west coast and back home with her husband and children; and the thrill of enjoying one train round-trip with her husband Jim across the United States from Baltimore to Las Vegas, NV to attend daughter Joanne and Bobby Schwiening’s wedding in Las Vegas, where they reside.

In past years, her backyard (and due to her children sometimes even her house) had birds, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, cats, turtles, frogs and toads, snakes, snake eggs, and many types of insects, including preying mantids. She inspired all her children to appreciate nature and enjoy the outdoors, as well as to complete their high school education, pursue additional education or any type training if desired, and to pursue one’s interests and hobbies.

Kitty was a St. Joseph Church Cub Scout Pack #746 adult leader for approximately 20 years while serving as Den Mother, Chief (or Lead) Den Mother, Den Mother Trainer, and Cub Scout Pack #746 Representative-Member to Cub Scout Dulaney District, Baltimore Area Council. Hundreds of young boys who lived in the Nottingham-Perry Hall-Fullerton area neighborhoods, throughout the late 1950’s and 1970’s, participated in Cub Scouting and enjoyed her weekly Cub Scout Den meetings held in her home’s basement, kitchen, living room, and backyard, as well as the monthly Cub Scout Pack Meetings held at

St. Joseph School Supper Room or at nearby parks or many other places, including both in MD and nearby in PA (for example, at the Indian Steps Museum and grounds located along the Susquehanna River in Lower Chanceford Township in PA).

Kitty was a professed member for the last 28 years of her life of the Third Order of St. Francis of Assisi. The Third Order of Saint Francis of Assisi is a religious organization of Catholic lay persons who take a lifelong vow of the principles of charity, benevolence, selflessness, and service to others. As a Third Order sister, Kitty espoused to emulate St. Francis’ life and spirit by daily striving to perform acts of kindness, teaching, charitable acts, and selfless service to others. She demonstrated these principles in her daily life.

She taught Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) at St. Joseph Church & School, Fullerton, MD to grade-schoolers for 24 and ½ years; Volunteered at Annual summer St. Joseph Church Carnival & Bazaar, a well-attended event in all of Perry Hall-Nottingham for many, many years; Volunteered to serve at the St. Joseph Church famous Chicken Dinners; Volunteered as a Teacher’s Aid for several years at St. Joseph School.

Kitty was one of the first women to be a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society within the Catholic Church Baltimore Archdiocese and was the first woman to be a member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Joseph Church, where she was very involved for nearly 60 years. For many years she weekly volunteered at Beans & Bread food pantry in Baltimore city and was actively involved with the mission of Catholic Evangelism and education in the community area. For several decades Kitty prepared materials throughout the month and presented her materials during 15-20 min duration talk/lecture on various biblical or Catholic Church history or teachings at the monthly meeting at the St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Joseph Church. She volunteered, along with Jim her husband, and transported and provided many needed meals to others at their homes, including many Thanksgiving Holiday and Christmas Holiday turkey & trimmings meals to others in need throughout much of Baltimore City & Baltimore County, MD. A long time ago Kitty took it upon herself to write personalized handwritten “Thank You” letters or cards to persons that contributed in any way to the mission of the St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Joseph Church, such as making a small monetary donation, giving of food or clothing to be distributed to others in need, or giving of their time volunteering, even if only for a few hours of time. It has been conservatively estimated that over the last 10 to 15 year period of her life she had handwritten close to one-thousand “Thank You” letters or cards, or possibly more.

She was a Catholic Communicant to take and provided Holy Eucharist-Communion to other members of St. Joseph Church community, traveling to their homes, that were sick or disabled or otherwise homebound and could not attend Mass or church services. Kitty wrote class materials and instructed other persons with one-on-one instruction needed for individuals interested and pursuing becoming a member of the Catholic Church. For several years she represented St. Joseph Church & School at local community events such as the annual Perry Hall Town Fair and other similar venues.

Kitty Davis leaves a legacy of living a life full of loving, caring, and providing for and sharing with her husband, her children, and her extended family; love of her Catholic faith; love of St. Joseph Church and School; and love of volunteer service to her community and to others.

Kitty is survived by her loving husband of 71 years James F. Davis of Nottingham, MD; and all her nine children and their spouses or significant others, including Philip J. Davis (Patty) of Camp Verde, AZ; Charles A. Davis (Linda) of Lutherville, MD; Joanne M. Schwiening (Bobby) of Las Vegas, NV; Edward G. Davis (Elizabeth Wetherington) of Lutherville-Timonium, MD; Frances C. Dennison (Jim Billings) of Rising Sun, MD; Paul H. Davis (Monette) of Frederick, MD; Clare Hildreth (Dave) of Carney, MD; Juanita M. Angelini (Steve) of Lancaster, PA; and Raymond M. Davis (Jen) of Felton, PA; Grandmother to twelve grandchildren – Clifford, Samantha, Joshua, Matthew, Brittany, Jonathan, Rachel, Vanessa, Emily, Aden, Kaylee, and Evan; and Great Grandmother to Jamison and Dylan. She was a loving Aunt to many nieces and nephews. She is survived by her sisters Helen Paulus of Abingdon, MD, Joyce Simmons of Joppatowne, MD, Rose Berendes of Oxford, WI, and Angie Ackerman of Edgewood, MD.

She is preceded in death by her parents James Edward Kline and Catherine Rose Kline; sisters Jackie Drehoff, Mary Kinlein, and Irene Kline; and a brother Jimmy Kline.

Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., 9705 Belair RD, Nottingham, MD 21236, on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Prayer services will be held on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 7:00 PM, at the funeral home. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Kitty Davis’ name to the St. Vincent DePaul Society Conference/Outreach Program, St. Joseph Church, Fullerton, MD, 8420 Belair Rd., Nottingham, MD 21236 (410-256-1630), (c/o St. Vincent DePaul Society Outreach Program, Treasurer Harry Davis), or to any charity of your choice. Condolences may be left for the family at www.schimunekfuneralhomes.com

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.schimunek-nottingham.com for the Davis family.