Carmelita "Connie" Trigo Davey

Carmelita Trigo Davey, a resident of Cary, passed away on December 17, at the age of 85. She had lived with Alzheimer’s disease for the past twenty years. Connie was the second child of the late Antonio and Rose Trigo, née Ciummo, of West Warwick, Rhode Island. She was predeceased by her dear sister and brother-in-law, Rosita and Robert Cheshire.

Connie was born in West Warwick, was a graduate of Lockwood High School (’53) and Rhode Island College of Education (’58). While in college, she met and fell in love with her husband of 61 years, James Francis Davey.

Upon marrying in 1960 Connie and Jim moved to Holmes Run Acres in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. where they both began long and dedicated careers of public service, raised their children, enjoyed a close and wonderful group of friends, and remained until they retired. When they started a family, Connie suspended her teaching career to be at home with their children. During these years she was active in the League of Women Voters, and pursued graduate study in Education. She earned an M.S. in Elementary Education from George Mason University (’73) and resumed teaching at Weyanoke Elementary school in Fairfax County. For over 20 years, teaching 1st and 2nd grades, she daily brought love and an uncommon respect for children into her classroom. It was the norm for students with great challenges to blossom under her care and expertise.

Known for her resolve and devotion to duty, once Connie decided on a course of action, she executed it. Such was the case when, upon discovering her daughter's gift for piano, she made the sacrifices necessary to buy her daughter the Steinway her piano teacher said she deserved. In fact, her family is hard pressed to think of a time she ever thought about her own needs before theirs. She drove her son to every soccer practice, ordered every uniform, quartered countless navel oranges, and watched every game pacing and cheering (and sometimes reprimanding refs!) from the sidelines.

Family and faith were the centers of Connie's world. Despite their distance from their mother's Rhode Island origins, her children, Scott and Lynn, grew up sharing boisterous holidays with their maternal grandmother, great grand-parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Connie found particular delight in time spent with each of her beloved grandchildren: Kelly, Patrick, Ryan and Sean.

Connie is survived by her dear husband, James; her son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Kathleen Davey; her grandchildren, Kelly, Patrick, Ryan and Sean; her daughter and son-in-law, Lynn Davey and Benjamin Dudley; her brother and sister-in-law, Francis and Marion Trigo; her brother and sister-in-law, Anthony and Kathy Trigo; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to the wonderful staff at Heartfields of Cary who took care of “Miss Connie” night and day for the past eight years. We remain humbled by their care and their unfailing good spirit in responding to her needs as the disease progressed. We are thankful beyond words.

Due to the pandemic, a memorial will be held at a date and time yet to be determined.

Donations in her memory may be made to Duke University’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center – ADRC.

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