Obituary of Mary Davis

Mary McIntosh Davis, 78, died Saturday, January 23, 2010 at her home on Rockley Road after a long illness. She was born in Parkersburg, WV, on February 24, 1931, daughter of the late Frederick F. and Johnnie Mae (OâBrien) McIntosh, Jr. of Spencer, WV. After graduating from Penn Hall Preparatory School in 1949 she attended West Virginia University, where she was a member of Chi Omega social sorority. She received an A. B. degree in English and Education in 1953. She then taught elementary school in West Palm Beach, FL, for one year before entering the Arts Students League in New York City where she studied under the world-renowned print maker, Will Barnett. She also taught at California Avenue Elementary in Hempstead, NY. After coming to Morgantown in 1959 she was active in the League of Women Voters and she opened an art gallery on Pleasant Street. She began teaching kindergarten at Wesley United Methodist Church in 1967. When kindergarten became part of the public school curriculum, she taught at Central Elementary School. Throughout her life, teaching was her passion. While at Central, she enjoyed the international students she taught which led to her decision to pursue a Fulbright Teaching Exchange. In 1980, she was the first teacher from the Monongalia County school system to be awarded a Fulbright. The Fulbright took her to Scotland in 1980 where she served as the teaching principal of Slammanan Nursery School in the Central Region. During her long career, she shared her expertise in Early Childhood education by mentoring student teachers from WVU, traveling to various conferences to speak, publishing articles, and becoming part of the People to People Educatorâs delegation to Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1996. She retired in 2001 from Mountain View Elementary.Throughout her professional life, she was an advocate for young children for which she received many honors and awards including being inducted into the Association of Childhood Education International Hall of Excellence in 1992, the West Virginia Association for Young Children Outstanding Member in 1997, and in 2005, she was named one of Morgantownâs 100 most influential people.Following her retirement, she continued to devote time and resources to projects geared toward young children such as the development of The Morgantown Fun Factory where she served on the board of directors and was an active volunteer until her health declined. She is survived by her three children: David Davis of Morgantown, Owen Davis (Ann Schreiber) of Frederick, MD, and Jessica Owens (Jeff) of Hurst, TX four grandchildren: Ben Davis of Chattanooga, TN, Jill Davis of Christiansburg, VA, Ethan Owens and Evan Owens of Hurst, TX and her brother Frederick F. McIntosh III (Lynn), of Old Tappan, NJ. Mary was preceded in death by her sister Diane McIntosh Peyton of Wheeling, WV. Family will receive guests Saturday, January 30, 2010, at Hastings Funeral Home, 153 Spruce Street, Morgantown from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the Memorial Service at 3 p.m.