Mary Davis

On Sunday, August 2, Mary Allen Davis peacefully left this world for a better one. Mrs. Davis was born in Nashville, TN, on August 23, 1924, the daughter of the late Hope S. Allen and Bessie Hobbs Allen. We are sure that heaven will be a livelier place now that Mary has arrived with her wonderful combination of passion for family, kindness, keen wit and southern spunk!

Our family will always lovingly remember Mary for her fiercely competitive nature whether as a high school basketball champion or during holiday trivia and Dirty Santa, her passion for football (and yes she did have a beloved Chihuahua named Peyton after Peyton Manning), her hands down best banana pudding on the planet but more than anything for her love and devotion to her family. For Mary, family always came first.

Mary was truly a great beauty and as a young woman she modeled and was Ms. Harvey's which was a big deal back in the 40's. She was the kind of gal that was equally comfortable in a mink coat and a Cadillac or chasing around the farm with her favorite goat. She loved animals and had a series of much loved Chihuahuas and cats.

After moving away from Tennessee for a spell, Mary and her beloved husband Gus, built a home across from her sister Eleanor Bradley in Hendersonville where they could raise their sons and be close to family. Mary was a lifetime member of the Madison Church of Christ and was devoted to the care of her parents Hope and Bessie as they got older. She loved her nieces and nephews and family get togethers were the highlight of her life.

Mary loved Hendersonville and loved getting to know and help her neighbors in her jobs as front office secretary at Hendersonville High School and as a bank teller at the Banks of Hendersonville and Goodlettesville, and First American Bank. She loved music and was determined to nurture the musical abilities of her sons and hosted band practice in her home and tirelessly road managed and hauled her sons and their friends to gigs all over the mid-south in her station wagon, ultimately leading to successful music careers for both Stephen Allen and Costo.

Mary was truly a one of kind woman and we were so lucky to have her with us for so long.

Survivors include her two sons, Stephen Allen Davis and Costo I. Davis (Blanca); grandson, Alex Whitaker; granddaughter, Stephanie Green; great-granddaughter, Cadence Howell; and a sister, Clare Hester (Hilliard). Several nieces and nephews also survive.

A private graveside service will be held.

The family would like to thank the staff at Bethany Center for Rehabilitation and Healing for their care of Mary and is especially grateful for the loving kindness of Toney Baily, the best caregiver a family could ask for. Thank you to all of the family and friends that have reached out to us with love and support. We all have a new guardian angel in heaven now and you can bet she has your back!

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests memorial contributions be made to MusiCares South Region, 1904 Wedgewood Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212.

Visit the online obituary www.hendersonvillefh.com to post tributes and share memories.