Agnes P. Davis

It is difficult to describe Agnes Davis in one word. Grace. Independent. Strong. Approachable. Multi-faceted. Caring. Love.

 Agnes passed away on June 17, 2025, in The Villages, Florida, at the remarkable age of 102.75. She tried to make it to 103 but she missed her husband and buddy, Bob Davis, and joined him in the afterlife on what would have been his 97th birthday. Agnes was born on September 5, 1922, in Fredericktown, Pennsylvania, and was the oldest of George and Anna Paler’s five children. They lived in Vestaburg, Pennsylvania, where her father was the supervisor at a coalmine. Agnes spent her formative years in Vestaburg and, after graduating from high school at the age of 16, worked briefly at Republic Steel in Fredericktown. She moved to the big city of Cleveland, Ohio, at age 17 where she attended business school and then worked for Republic Steel. Agnes was very proud of her independence as a young career woman. Her brother George introduced her to his roommate Bob Davis, who proposed to her on their first date. She was reluctant to accept the proposal, given that they had had only one date and she was 6 years older than Bob, but they were married 1,406 days after that first date and never looked back. Agnes and Bob moved to Wickliffe, Ohio, and had five children in rapid succession. She loved being a mother to Ed, Nancy, Mary Lou, John, and Rick, and it was a role that she was most proud of her entire life. The Davis family lived in Wickliffe until 1965 when they moved to Westport, Connecticut, their home for 50 years. Agnes settled into 1960s Westport life and joined the Newcomers Club, the Westport Garden Club, the Westport Women’s Club, and a Gourmet Group. Her lifetime of volunteering began with the Saugatuck School PTA and the Cub Scouts as a den mother and continued throughout her life, including several years as Mrs. Claus to Bob’s Santa Claus at Perkin Elmer. Agnes began volunteering at Norwalk Hospital at age 75 and she ended her shift15 years later at age 90, but not before Norwalk Hospital nominated her as a Hometown Hero and she was featured on a segment on Channel 12 in October 2009 as recognition of her dedication to the hospital. After nurturing her five children and setting them on the right if not always straight path, Agnes held jobs at Nancy Strong’s Slimnastics and Hastings Real Estate in Westport. She made a large leap of faith by moving to Beijing, China, in 1983 at age 61 after Bob accepted a job as sales and service manager at Perkin Elmer’s office there (which he accepted without running it by Agnes). Agnes had a tremendous sense of curiosity and adventure, and she took great joy in discovering new places and meeting new people. China is where Agnes honed her gift to attract and connect with people of all types. She made happy conversation with anyone and everyone, regardless of whether they spoke the same language as her. Language, cultural, and political differences didn’t impede her embrace of Chinese society, culture, and people. While there, she also exhibited her sense of adventure by traveling alone multiple times across China for work. Agnes took thousands of photographs there, recording everyday life and especially children. She was a legendary antique shopper at the antique art and pop-up street markets, generating smiles from the vendors when she approached. After returning from China in 1985, Agnes and Bob settled in Fairfield, Connecticut, but not for long. In 1989, she joined Bob in Uberlingen, Germany, after he accepted a position at Perkin Elmer as manager, marketing support. They completed their European adventure at the end of1991 but not before Agnes welcomed countless friends and family members to her German home and traveled to 16 European countries. She loved taking visitors on tours of the area and her enthusiasm and delight was contagious. While overseas, Agnes wrote many letters to her friends and family about her experiences and a friend suggested that she write a book about China because “You were really the first American business family that we knew of that had truly been ‘integrated’ into the real Chinese community.” She took that advice and in 1995 self-published Beijing and Beyond: Letters from China 1983-1985. Copies were widely distributed to friends and family, and Agnes was “tickled” when she found a copy of her book at the annual Westport Library Book Sale on half-price day. Upon settling back in Westport, Agnes was the most gracious of hostesses and more than 600 people from 46 countries signed her guest book when they visited her home. She had the unique skill of making everyone feel special and loved, whether she was at home, visiting with friends, or in the church parking lot. Her approachability was a gift, and she never met a stranger. It was in Westport that Agnes perfected her role as grandmother, and she cherished the time she spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In what was the ultimate impulse purchase, Agnes and Bob purchased a house in The Villages, Florida, in 2011, and after playing “Snowbirds” for a few years, retired permanently there in 2015. Bob passed away in September 2021 and Agnes continued to live in The Villages, where she celebrated her 100th birthday in style in 2022.Agnes is survived by Ed (Linda) Davis of Hollister, California, Nancy Shwartz of Danbury, Connecticut, Mary Lou Davis of The Villages, Florida. John (Ellen) Davis of Raleigh, North Carolina; Rick (Beth) Davis of Newtown, Connecticut; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; a sister, Delores Allick, of Palm Springs, California; a sister, Eileen Novak, of California, Pennsylvania; and a world of friends. In addition to her parents, Agnes is predeceased by a sister, Lenora Zanolli, a brother George Paler, and a son-in-law, Jeff Shwartz. Consider yourself lucky if you knew Agnes Davis. She touched the lives of thousands of people around the world, whether it was from a casual encounter on the street or a decades-long relationship. She said her life had been better than she could ever have dreamed and that being the best person she could be to everyone made her dreams a reality. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Norwalk Hospital or Westport Women’s Club. A celebration of Agnes and Bob’s lives will be held at the Westport Country Playhouse in late August.