Edward L Davidson

On Friday, March 31st, 2023, 9 weeks and 4 days from the passing of his cherished sweetheart and wife, Ellen, our beloved father, grandfather and friend, Ed Davidson passed peacefully after falling into a brief coma brought on by various complexities related to the trials of old age. He was 92.5 years old.

Ed was a husband, father, grandfather (with all the “Greats” attached), cousin, son, friend, and neighbor — and there is no match — his heart, his hard-working hands, his silly jokes and quick laughter, his too-long, squeezing and delightful hugs, his sharing of life and family, his ever-serving soul, his love towards all, will be greatly missed.

Ed was born on July 10th, 1930, in Soda Springs, Idaho and grew up in a big and booming family of 9, with three brothers and three sisters, headed up by his mom and dad, CC and Mary, he a surveyor and farmer and she a former schoolteacher and housewife. The whole family all loved the great outdoors, were hunters, fishers, and workers of the land, hard workers, and believed in serving others within their various communities throughout the Western United States during the course of their lives.

Ed attended Ashton Elementary school as a little boy, but as he hit his stride in his teenage years, he attended (3) high schools, being Ashton, Wellsville, and Baldwin, graduating from Baldwin.

Post high school and before meeting and marrying Ellen, he did a stint with the Army driving tanks. Following his service in the Army, Ed began his lifelong career with the telephone company, starting out in Idaho and then relocating down to Salt Lake City, Utah where he worked for Mountain Bell for over forty years before retiring. Through the years he had many opportunities to share his working knowledge and experience with his children, grandchildren and many others.

Ed met his greatest treasure and lifelong sweetheart in a dance hall one weekend night. Ed was smitten with Ellen from the get-go. Ed married his lovely, vibrant, loving, funny, strong-willed, spitfire Ellen on June 2, 1950, right after her high school graduation, and thus began their grand adventure in building a home and a family and living a life together. They had 6 independent, strong-minded, hardworking, opinionated, big-loving and humor-filled children. Through the years, from these few 6 children, they had 25 grandchildren, 58 great-grandchildren, and so far, 3 great-great grandchildren, all adding their richness, strength, diversity and beauty to our family tapestry.

After marrying Ellen, Ed eventually joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and their marriage was solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple. Through the years, he served in a variety of capacities, however the things he talked about the most were found in the small and simple opportunities in serving and supporting with love and ready helping hands, his neighbors, church and community members and family. In his later years, in his 70’s, along with Ellen, they served as adult leaders and chaperones for their local ward Young Women’s Girls Camp, which was a very happy experience for both of them. Ed and Ellen also served for thirteen years together in the Jordan River Temple as temple workers touching many lives and making friends far and wide.

Ed had a love for all things gadget-y, including telephones, and he could fix just about anything, and was always dependable with helping to find solutions to what often seemed like insurmountable problems. No matter what it was, he would work through it with you. He loved camping and fishing, took great pride in the family’s little trailer and custom van, loved to travel and visit family and friends, and never could quite get enough of the mountains. He had a beautiful voice and in the 1960’s, in Kearns, Utah, was in a singing group called the Music Masters.

Ed would have been 93 in July – and his is a big life, filled with successes and failures, uphill battles and hard fought victories, laughter, love, service, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and a desire to always move forward. Even though in the end his memory was failing him, and his body was coming to its end, in his more lucid moments, you could see the soul of the man … still with that ready smile and those twinkling blue eyes, topped by that generous ration of snow-white hair.

Ed is preceded in death by his wife, Ellen, his mother and father, CC & Mary Davidson, and by all of his siblings: Elizabeth Kidd Morgan, Eileen Davidson, James (Lucille), John (Vicki), Bill (Jean), and Paula (Gene) Christiansen; by his grandsons, Stephen Singleton and Cory Davidson, by one little great-grandbaby, Lucas Slack, and by many other family members and friends that he loved dearly. No doubt his heavenly reunion was an extraordinary one, and he likely still has a perma-grin plastered on his lovely face.

Ed is survived by his sisters-in-law Vicki (John) Davidson and Jean (Bill) Davidson, his children Bob (Cindy) Davidson, Ann (Bob) Smith, Sharon (Brad) Slack, Brad (Polly) Davidson, Tami (Larry) Privett and Jerel (Tracy) Davidson, his granddaughters Tara Smith and Tiffany Ruiz, as well as his many beloved grandchildren, great and great-great grandchildren, extended family, and many friends, neighbors, and community members, in whom he took such great delight in sharing this human life.

We will see you again one day, Pops, and we look forward to the smiles, the tears and joy that will be present in our someday-later reunion.

We welcome those who wish to visit and mingle with the family in reminiscing and celebrating this treasured man and his fully lived life, to join us in his Viewing and Memorial Services, held as follows:

Saturday, April 22nd, 2023

• Viewing and Family Visiting held from 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. at the Hunter East Stake Center, LDS Church, at 5000 W. Pavant Ave., West Valley City, Utah 84120.

• Memorial Funeral Services begin at 12:30 p.m.

• Interment will be held, following the services, at Valley View Cemetery, 4335 W. 4100 S., West Valley City, Utah 84120

The family wishes to extend a special and heartfelt “Thank You!” to the Intermountain Homecare and Hospice team that were so helpful and supportive during our dad’s final months. You smoothed the end of this mortal journey and were a relief and a comfort to our family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ValleyViewFuneral.com for the Davidson family.